Sands of Time
by Assistant
Summary: The Sands hold the power to change the past. Carmelita now seeks them out to undo a mistake, and save Sly's life. But Beware, the Guardian is always watching!
1. Slip Up

Sands of Time

Chapter 1

Slip Up

Inspector Carmelita Montoya Fox of Interpol, France Division, took a sip of her coffee. She and several other officers were standing outside an innocent looking house on the outskirts of Paris. It was two stories tall with seven bedrooms, three bathrooms, a kitchen, a dinning room, a game room, and a living room. It was Victorian in style, and had a deck going all the way around the first floor of the house. It had been supposedly abandoned for years, but Carmelita knew better.

As she and the rest of Interpol waited silently outside, Carmelita thought about why she was there that night. It had been an average day at the office. Sly Cooper had just escaped arrest again, and she had just returned to her office after getting her butt chewed by Chief Barkley. She had been working on some paperwork when a knock came at her office door. She shouted it was open, and was surprised when a UPS zebra walked in carrying a package.

Carmelita signed for the package, and once the zebra left quickly went about opening the package. Once she got the cardboard flaps open, she saw there were two things resting gently within the box. The first was a small bouquet of blue roses, baby's breath, and a little green to fill in for color. It was all wrapped in a clear plastic, and had a blue and white ribbon. The other item in the box was card, but more importantly it was Sly's calling card.

Carmelita grabbed the card, gently flipping it open as she read,

_To Carmelita_

_This time I stole a diamond, but like always you have taken my breath away. _

_Better luck next time._

_From: Sly Cooper_

Carmelita looked at the flowers, growling a bit as she tossed them across the room and into the garbage. She then grabbed the card, and placed it in a drawer of her desk. She kept each card, and planned to add harassment to the long list of charges against the ringtail. Carmelita then went to throw the box away when something caught her eye.

The label on the box had been hand written, and after examining the writing for a few minutes Carmelita guessed it had been written by the purple hippo in Sly's gang, Murray. Still, that was not what caught Carmelita's attention. On the label there was the address of her office, the necessary postage, and one more thing, a return address. Carmelita didn't know if it was real or not, but on anything else she had gotten from Sly the return address had been missing. Then again, it had always been either Sly himself who delivered the package or Bentley that typed up the shipping label. This was the first time she had ever seen Murray's sloppy, child like hand writing on a package.

Carmelita began to smile, he had finally done it. After all the years of chasing after him, Sly had finally slipped up. Carmelita guessed that Murray was sent into town to deliver the package. When he got to the UPS store, they asked him for a return address. Recently, UPS began requiring a return address. Sly probably didn't know about the new policy, and sent Murray to the store with only the address for her office. That meant, when Murray was asked for a required return address, he gave them the address of their hideout, their real address.

At that moment Carmelita stood up from her desk, walking over to her office door as she grabbed her coat. In ten minutes she was out to her car, and roaring out to her house. After an hour of searching, she found her old surveillance equipment. She had gotten it for the short time she spent on Interpol's surveillance team. It had been years since the telescope and other materials had seen the light of day. Still, they were all in perfect working order.

That night Carmelita found out where the address was. The old house was up on a hill, and could be seen from almost any rooftop in Paris. Carmelita selected a building that put her almost level with the house, and was close enough for her to get a good view of everything in and around the house. Earlier that day, she had gotten a tip Sly would be stealing something that night. This time, she would wait and let her pray come to her, like a fly into a spider web.

At roughly one in the morning, Carmelita saw a van pulling up to the house. She quickly leapt up, focusing her telescope and turning on the night vision. She saw seven figures step out of the van, one of which was in a wheel chair. She then focused her telescope on one of them, and saw he was carrying a very identifiable cane. It was the ringtail all right.

It had been around six months after the incident with Dr. M. Carmelita and everyone else really thought that Sly had lost his memory. That all changed when one day, Bentley and Penelope were caught using a hacking protocol to steal money from E-Bay. They were arrested, and brought to Sly and Carmelita's division. The next morning Bentley, Penelope, and Sly were gone. The only thing left of any of them was one of Sly's calling cards resting in the center of the cell.

The card explained everything, and Carmelita became the laughing stock of Interpol. She quickly regained her reputation by bringing in the worst crime boss in Paris, but still she would not forgive Sly for betraying her. Still, those six months had been some of the happiest in Carmelita's life.

Carmelita stared through her telescope, watching as the gang members, each of which she could identify, moved their latest prize into the house. Carmelita smiled, packing up her equipment. That had been a few nights before. Now, in the calm of the night, a huge force of Interpol officers had been assembled outside the house. The best hackers in Interpol International had disabled Bentley's electronic security, and all other hazards had been scoped out and disarmed over the few nights. Now, it was the big of moment.

Carmelita's phone vibrated in her pocket. She quickly set her coffee on a nearby car roof, and pulled it out. She put it up to the ear, and heard Chief Barkley say, "Start Operation Legend Slayers."

Carmelita nodded her head, flipping the phone shut before she threw it on her car seat, and pulled out her shock pistol. Several other officers began to follow Carmelita as she crept up to the house. They all moved about carefully, avoiding all of the non-electronic traps that filled the yard. The night fell deathly silent, and a single sound might alert someone inside the house to their presence. Still, the officers of Interpol continued to creep closer.

Carmelita was the first to reach the house, climbing up a set of steps until she reached the deck around the house. She stepped carefully on the deck, avoiding every squeaky board until she reached the door. Carmelita's left hand slipped into her coat pocket, pulling out a small key. The night before a locksmith had snuck up to the house, and created a copy of the key. Carmelita pulled out the key, smiling gently as she slipped it into the lock. Behind her, several other officers caught up with the Spanish vixen, and waited anxiously as she gently pushed the door open.

Carmelita took a tentative step into the house, looking around as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. She pulled out her sunglasses, setting them on her head before pressing a button on the frames. Thanks to the Interpol tech department, Carmelita's sun glasses had been outfitted with night vision. All the other officers quickly followed Carmelita's lead, and the small army of police officers stepped into the living room of the Cooper gang.

Carmelita turned, motioning silently to the other officers as she directed eight of them down a hall that led to Murray and Panda King's bedrooms. The officers nodded their heads, making their way silently as Carmelita led the rest up to the second floor.

Creeping like burglars in the night, the officers of Interpol moved up to the second floor. There, they saw six doors. From what they knew from city records, one of the doors was a bathroom. The other five were bedrooms. Carmelita pointed at two operatives, and pointed to the first door on the right, the one that belonged to Penelope. She then sent two officers to Bentley's room, five to Guru's room, and one to Dimitri's room. The final door, the last door on the left side of the hall, Carmelita moved up to herself. That was Sly's room, and she would be the one to slap the cuffs around his thieving hands.

Everyone was in position, and time seemed to come to a halt. Adrenaline hit its peak, and everyone held their breath. Then, Carmelita gently tapped her foot on the ground three times. The hallway with Panda King and Murray's rooms was just below, and it allowed every officer to hear a signal. The next second, doors were broken down and yells filled the house. Lights came on, and panic ensued. Carmelita broke down Sly's door, flipping on the light as she bellowed in a commanding voice, "Freeze Cooper."

As Carmelita looked about the room, Sly was no where to be seen. There was, however, a gently flutter to the drapes on the window. Carmelita rushed over, and stuck her head out into the night air as she searched the area around the house. She was afraid Sly had escaped again when she heard a board creak behind her. Before she even saw where she was shooting, Carmelita spun around and let off a shock pistol blast.

Sly froze, his eyes widening just a bit before he got struck with the shock pistol blast. He dropped to the ground, the burst of electricity rendering his body useless for a few second. In the next instant, Carmelita had out a pair of handcuffs and had put her knee into Sly's back. Sly groaned a bit, smiling as he said, "Well, good evening Carmelita. It is nice to see you are back to normal."

Carmelita smiled, placing the very special handcuffs around Sly's wrists as she said, "This time, I'll say it. It is nice to see you too Ringtail and it will be even nicer to see you behind bars. You slipped up Cooper, and now you are going to jail for it."

Sly sighed, "Well, at least you will finally be able to enjoy that bottle of wine you have been saving."

Carmelita nodded her head, "I may even share a glass with you Cooper, but only if you decided to go quietly."

Sly flashed a very charming smile as he said, "For that opportunity, I would go without handcuffs."

Carmelita shook her head, hauling Sly up by the wrists, "Nice try, but you forget I know your tricks. You aren't getting away Cooper, not this time." The smile on Sly's face quickly disappeared as the seriousness of the matter sunk in. He had been caught, and had not intended it this time.

As Carmelita led Sly down the hallway, he could see Bentley, Dimitri, Penelope, and Guru's rooms were all empty. When they got down stairs, he saw why. Every other member of the Cooper gang were cuffed, standing in the living room waiting for him. The others looked up, but their hearts sank when they saw Sly had not escaped. Murray and Panda King had even been pumped full of tranquilizer, ruining the gang's chance that their strength might free them. Guru was also left helpless, the shards of his Moon Stone left scattered on the floor of his room. Carmelita motioned towards the other officers, and they all began to lead the Cooper Gang out of the house, and into the waiting police vehicles.

The next morning, the front of every newspaper was covered in the story. Carmelita's favorite headline was, "Master Thief Slips Up." Carmelita gave several interviews over the course of the morning, to both paper and TV reporters. It was noon before she got some private time in her office. After lunch, the chief came in and formally thanked Carmelita for all her work on the case. He also hinted to a promotion from Inspector to Captain, which would include a very hefty bonus from the higher ups.

Carmelita, however, got her biggest surprise around four in the afternoon. She was finishing the final paperwork on the Cooper case, preparing it to be sent to the prosecutors when she heard a knock on the door. A few seconds later, the door slowly swung open the reveal a tall male fox with a wide smile on his face.

Carmelita smiled, standing up from her seat, "Keith, what are you doing here?"

The male fox smiled, stepping farther into the room, "I heard the news last night, and hopped the first flight here." Carmelita rushed up, hugging the male fox tightly. Keith was her older brother, by adoption. Her parents had tried to have kids before, but her mother just couldn't seem to get pregnant. That is why they had adopted Keith, and then a few months later Mrs. Fox became pregnant with Carmelita.

Keith was taller then Carmelita, standing about six feet tall. While Carmelita had gone into law enforcement, Keith had found his calling in archeology. He was now the leading authority in an ancient race called the Kronosians. They were a race that had been said to hold a mastery of time, and could control a substance called the sands of time.

Though Keith was an archeologist, he also had a passion for the wild west of North America. With the money he gained from his field he bought a ranch in Colorado, and now had a small horse operation. Keith was dressed in his usual ranch wear, not having a chance to change before he got on the plane. His wardrobe consisted of cowboy boots, blue jeans, a denim button down shirt, and a tan cowboy hat that sat forward on his head.

Carmelita stepped back from Keith, smiling as she said, "How long as it been since you have been in Paris?"

Keith lifted his hand, holding up two fingers, "Two years, since Aunt Flores's wedding. Still, it isn't every day my younger sister finally arrests the Sly Cooper. So, to celebrate, I am taking you out on the town. Anywhere you want to go, you just name it. It is my treat."

Carmelita shook her head, "No, today has been busy enough. Besides, Sly and the rest of his gang goes on trial tomorrow. I have to be rested so I can give my testimony."

Keith sighed, "Very well, but can I at least offer my services tonight, and make you dinner. It can be at your house."

Carmelita crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow as she asked, "Let me guess, you also need a place to stay while you are in town."

Keith bowed, but then looked up at his sister and smiled, "You know me to well Carmelita, you know me to well." With that, Keith convinced Carmelita to call it day. The pair drove across town, Carmelita in her red convertible and Keith in a rented pickup truck, to Carmelita's apartment.

Carmelita shared a duplex with a kind old owl by the name of Mrs. Hoot. She was a grandmother, and would sometimes have her grandkids over to visit. The sweet old woman spent most of her days cooking, and on more then one occasion Carmelita came home to find a pan or pot of food sitting on her doorstep. It always seemed Mrs. Hoot knew when Carmelita had endured a bad day, and her food always lifted her spirits.

While Carmelita's apartment was on the top of the duplex, Mrs. Hoot lived in the bottom. Both had a small deck area, and their apartments were laid out exactly the same. The difference came to the furnishing in each house. Stepping into Mrs. Hoot's house made you think you were stepping back a good forty years into the past. Carmelita's apartment, however, was a little bit more modern.

When Carmelita and Keith rolled up, Mrs. Hoot was sitting in the rocking chair on her deck, her feathered wings gently working a pair of knitting needles. She looked up at the pair, smiling as she said, "Well congratulations are in order Carmelita. I just heard the news. You did a wonderful job capturing that Sly Cooper fella. Oh, and who is this strapping young man who is with you, a boyfriend perhaps."

Carmelita shook her head, "No Mrs. Hoot, this is my brother Keith. Keith, this is Dorothy Hoot, my neighbor."

The old owl set down her knitting needles, stretching out a hand as she said, "Please, everybody just called me Mrs. Hoot."

Keith took Mrs. Hoot's hand, gently lifting it up as he kissed the back of her hand. He then stood up, smiling as he said, "It is a pleasure to finally meet the kind woman that has helped my Carmelita through the tougher parts of her life."

Mrs. Hoot blushed a bit, looking over at Carmelita, 'My dear it is a shame he is your brother. He is so charming, and I can tell he is such a nice boy."

Carmelita laughed, "I am sorry Mrs. Hoot, but Keith and I need to be going."

Mrs. Hoot smiled, returning to her knitting, "All right dear, I'll leave you two to catch up."

Carmelita nodded her head before quickly climbing up the stairs to her apartment, Keith following a few steps behind. Carmelita pulled out her keys, opening the door before flipping on the light. Carmelita's house was broken into three parts. There was the living room, from which you could go into the combined kitchen/dinning room or bedroom. The bathroom was attached to the bedroom, but it could also be accessed from a door in the kitchen/dinning room.

The living room was decorated with several pictures frames, most containing newspaper clipping that featured some of Carmelita's greatest achievements. There was also a medium sized TV that was held up by an entertainment center. Across the room from the TV was a simple grey couch, in front of which stood a coffee table. On another side of the coffee table, turned only slightly towards the TV, was a recliner. Against the back wall of the room was a desk with a computer, work lamp, and a few stray papers lying across its polished wooden surface.

Carmelita looked back at Keith, setting her keys on a nearby coffee table as she said, "You remember your way around?"

Keith nodded his head, "I do seem to recall."

Carmelita nodded her head, "Good, you can start cooking that dinner you promised me, and I am in the mood for Italian."

Keith raised an eyebrow, but then smiled, "You know what, then it Italian is what I will cook." Carmelita smiled, watching as Keith disappeared into the kitchen before she went to her bedroom. Carmelita's bedroom was much simpler then her living room. She had a queen sized bed that was covered with deep red blankets and pillows. Against the left wall was a green chair with a blanket setting over its back and an end table setting beside it. It was Carmelita's favorite place to read when she was at home, and it accounted for the large pile of books that accumulated around the end table. As Carmelita slipped out of her work books she realized that with Sly Cooper behind bars she would have time to catch up on her reading.

Carmelita walked back into the kitchen about thirty minutes later, having showered and changed into a simple T-shirt and pajama bottom. Usually, she would not be so casual around a guest, but Keith would never let her stay so up tight. When ever he visited her, he insisted that she relax. After all, Carmelita didn't realize how stressful her line of work was.

Carmelita scratched her head, lifting her nose as she smelled the thick aroma of pasta sauce in the air. The kitchen and dinning room each took up half of the room. The kitchen was up against the right wall, and consisted of a stove, sink, refrigerator, and an island counter that all stood on a white, tiled, floor. The other half of the room was carpeted, and consisted of a table and four chairs. Just enough should Carmelita's mother, father, and Keith all came over to visit at the same time.

At the stove, Keith stood stirring a pot of sauce, gently tasting it before he reached for a nearby salt shaker. Carmelita took a seat at the dinner table, relaxing as she stretched her arms above her head, "So, Keith, how is your work going. Find any leads on the Kronosians."

Keith nodded his head, adding a bit of pepper to the sauce pan, "Actually, I did make a discovery just a few days before I flew out here. I have it with me." Keith bent over, tasting the sauce one last time before he smiled. He picked up the pan and a nearby plate of pasta and carried it over to the table. He had already set out plates, silverware, and glasses of water.

After Keith filled Carmelita's plate, he put some food on his own and took a seat. Then, before starting his own food, he reached down the front of his shirt and pulled out a medallion. He pulled the chain off of his head, and handed to Carmelita as he said, "Take a look at this."

Carmelita took hold of the medallion, and began to turn it over in her hand. It was about half the size of a CD, and made of a mixture of glass and metal. Several designs covered the medallion, and they were focused around the nine small glass chambers around the rim. In the center was another two glass chambers, one in the shape of a diamond while the other was in a crescent shape, boarding the top edge of the diamond.

As Carmelita handed the medallion back Keith said, "We have just hit a treasure trove of Kronosian artifacts. Most of them broken pots and the usual stuff, but there were two things that gave us a huge new lead. It was this medallion and an ancient piece of text. The text said,

_The power of time_

_The force to control past, present, and future_

_The power contained within the sands_

_The sands are formed by the altars_

_The sands are contained by the hourglass_

_From the hourglass the weapons gain their might_

_Time can be changed, the past rewritten._

_But beware_

_The guardian of the timeline is always watching_

Carmelita shook her head, "You don't really believe all that, do you?"

Keith shrugged his shoulders, slipping the medallion back over his neck, "I can't really say Carmelita. There is evidence the Kronosians held some kind of power, but we can't be sure if it was really the ability to control time."

Carmelita and Keith ate the rest of their dinner in calm conversation. Then, after Carmelita stomped Keith in a game of chess, they both decided to hit the sack early. Keith was still working against the massive Jetlag his flight had induced, and Carmelita needed to be at the court house early the next morning.


	2. Crime and Punishment

Chapter 2

Crime and Punishment

The next morning, Carmelita woke bright and early. She showered, and got dressed in her best set of clothes. It was a black business suit with long black pants, heeled shoes, and a matching black purse. Carmelita would have worn the usual skirt with her suit, but decided to not give Sly the pleasure of seeing her legs. Other then that, Carmelita put her hair in its usual ponytail, making sure each hair was tightly braided before she grabbed her purse and headed out the door.

At 8:00 the court was ready to begin, Interpol had used every one of its connections to get the trail made the next day. A large group of officers and other people had shown up to watch the proceedings. At the defense's table, Sly and the others sat perfectly still. They were all dressed in full suits except for the Panda King, who had chosen to dress in his white meditation robes. Bentley had gone online, and using Thief Net gotten the best criminal defensive attorney available. It was a cheetah by the name of Lewis P. Sherman. He had never lost a case, but the same could be said of the prosecuting attorney. Interpol had brought in the very best prosecutor, a King Cobra by the name of Steve G. Reaper. It would be the first time both Sherman and Reaper had been in court together, and that day one of their records would fall. One of them had to win the case, and in such shatter the others reputation.

The bailiff, a sturdy black bear, looked around the room as he called out, "All Stand, Judge Lander presiding." At the sound of his name, a young looking mountain lioness entered the room, taking her seat at the head of the room. She was dressed in the common black robes, and on her nose rested a pair of small, half-moon glasses.

Judge Lander's eyes slowly skimmed the room, trying to identify any trouble makers as she said, "Now, I was supposed to see a divorce case this morning, but it appears that has change. So, prosecutor, you may make your opening statement."

Reaper nodded his head, standing up from his chair. Like most snake people, he had a normal torso, but where his legs should have been was just his long tail. Reaper slithered up to the front of the court, turning toward the jury and the audience in general as he said, "Thank you your honor. Now, I am sure everyone has heard about the Cooper gang. There are even history books that reference the Cooper line as the greatest thieves of all time. Still, being the greatest at such a foul trade, to be so skilled in taking what others have bought through their blood, their sweet, and their tears. The Coopers have been caught before, but each time they escaped and went to pass on this tradition of law breaking along to a new generation. Today, we have a chance to end it all, and stop this gang, this group of thieves, from ever stealing anything ever again. So, lets seize this opportunity, and finally put a end to the Cooper gang, to the Cooper line, and the line of criminals that have plagued our planet for far to long."

Reaper bowed his head, returning to his seat as he smiled over at Sherman. The cheetah looked coldly back as the judged called him up. Sherman stood up, adjusting his tie a bit as he stepped in front of the room. He cleared his throat, checking to make sure he had everyone's attention as he said, "My colleague, Mr. Reaper, has told you the face value of the situation. The Cooper gang is a band of thieves, but have any of you ever considered what was stolen. I have looked through all the records I could in such a short amount of time before this trial began, and found out a very interesting set of facts. First, I want you all to listen to a series of names, all of which you will easily recognize."

Sherman walked over to the defense table, picking up a single piece of paper. He reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a pair of glasses. He gently set them on the bridge of his nose, looking over the paper a few seconds before he began to read, "Now, let's see here. We have Sir Raleh, Muggshot, Mz. Ruby, Panda King, Clockwerk, Dimitri, Rajan, The Contessa, Juan Bison, Arpeggio, Neyla, Don Octavio, General Tao, and the pirate Lefeww. These names belong to some of the worst criminals of our time. All of them except two are now either behind bars or honest citizens. Why, it was through the help of the Cooper gang that all of these criminals were finally brought to justice. Today you are not trying criminals, you are trying thieves. The gang steals from criminals, hurting them in the place Interpol can't hit, their pocket books. Then, they take what the criminals have stolen and return them to their rightful owners, taking the reward as their prize. So, you can put the Cooper gang behind bars because they are thieves, but know that by locking them up you are opening up the world to criminals like Clockwerk, who had been planning to hold the world ransom with his giant death ray."

Sherman smiled, turning as he returned to his seat at the defense table. Judge Lander nodded her head, looking over at Reaper as she said, "You may call your first witness Mr. Reaper."

The King Cobra stood up, bowing a bit as he said, "Thank you your honor. For my first witness I would like to call Sly Cooper to the stand." The judge nodded her head, and then turned with the rest of the courtroom as Sly slowly stood up, and moved over to the witness stand.

Reaper walked up, stopping by the evidence table as he picked up a tattered book. He turned to Sly, holding the book up as he asked, "Mr. Cooper, can you tell me what this is?"

Sly nodded his head, "Yes, it is the Thievius Raccoonus."

"And can you tell us what a Thievius Raccoonus is?"

Sly nodded his head an again, "It is my families guide to thievery."

Reaper nodded, gently opened the book up as he gently flipped through the pages, "So, you can learn to become a master thief, just by reading this book?"

"No, the Thievius Raccoonus does not create master thieves. It takes master thieves to create the Thievius Raccoonus."

Reaper snapped the book shut, setting back on the evidence table as he asked, "So, Mr. Cooper, I am going to read off some names. I want you to tell me if you recognize them, Okay."

Sly nodded his head, and Reaper began to read off a long list of museums, government facilities, and other legitimate businesses. When Mr. Reaper was done he looked up and asked, "So, do you recognize these names Mr. Cooper?"

Sly nodded his head, "Yes."

Reaper set down his list and asked, "So, why do you recognize the names of all those museums, art galleries, national archives, and other places that are a far cry from being a part of the criminal element."

Sly shrugged, "I recognize them because I have stolen something from all of them."

Reaper nodded his head, "Can you tell us why you stole from these government facilities and hardworking citizens?"

"Yes, I stole from them for the challenge of the heist."

Reaper raised an eyebrow, "So, you did it for fun. You did it just to prove you could."

Sly nodded his head, and Reaper returned to his seat as he said, "No further questions your honor."

Judge Lander nodded her head, looking over at Sherman, "Your witness Mr. Sherman."

Sherman nodded his head, slowly standing up as he slowly stepped up to Sly. He also picked up the Thievius Raccoonus, flipping open the cover to the first page as he asked, "So, Mr. Cooper, can you say you have read this book over several times, even to the point you know it all by heart?"

Sly nodded his head, and Sherman continued, "Then, can you tell me please what it says on the first page of the book, just after you open the cover, and who it was written by?"

Sly shifted his weight in the chair a bit, and said, "Yes. That first entry says that the Coopers only steal from criminals. That there is no honor, no challenge, and no fun stealing from normal people. That when you have stolen from a master criminal, you know that you are a master thief."

Sherman smiled, "And who was it written by, Mr. Cooper?"

"It was written by my pioneering ancestor, Slytunkhamen."

Sherman turned toward the jury, holding up the book as he asked, "So, Mr. Cooper, have all your ancestors lived by that code?"

Sly nodded his head, "Yes."

"Have you followed that code, to only steal from those who commit crimes, from criminals?"

Again, Sly nodded his head, "Yes, I have."

"What about all those museums you have stolen from, all those people who weren't criminals? What did you do with what you stole from them."

Sly smiled a bit, looking out into the crowd of people watching the proceedings as he said, "I would always return the items, placing them on the desk Inspector Carmelita Montoya Fox along with my calling card."

Sherman nodded his head, "Very well, no further questions your honor."

The court continued, Reaper trying to make each member of the Cooper Gang look bad while Sherman tired to show that they were doing a service to the world community. Finally, Reaper was down to his final witness. As Reaper stood up, he picked up a paper and said, "Your Honor, I would like to call Carmelita Montoya Fox to the stand."

The judge nodded her head as Carmelita slowly made her way to the front of the room. Carmelita quickly said her oath, taking a seat at the witness stand as she glanced over at Sly, who just smiled at her and gave a small wink. Reaper came up, drawing Carmelita's gaze as he asked, "Can you please tell us a little bit about yourself Inspector."

Carmelita nodded her head, "My full name is Carmelita Montoya Fox. I am a fifth generation cop from my father's side, and have been working on the Cooper case for the past several years."

Reaper nodded his head, continuing a string of questions that showed how Sly had been hurting honest working people. It was a weak line of attack, but it was the last thing Reaper had. When he finished, it was Sherman's turn. The cheetah stood up, and moved in front of Carmelita as he asked, "How are you doing today Inspector Fox."

Carmelita bowed her head a bit, "Just fine thank you."

Sherman smiled, "That is good. Now, I would like you to tell something to the court. I am sure everybody here is familiar about the story where you were framed by the Contessa and Constable Neyla for being a secret member of the Cooper Gang, correct."

Carmelita frowned, but nodded her head, "Yes, I do."

Sherman smiled, "Tell me, who helped you escape arrest while you were trying to clear your name."

Carmelita's frown grew larger, but she replied, "Sly Cooper."

Sherman nodded his head, "Can you also tell me who saved your life after Clockwerk captured you, locked you in a gas room, and left you for dead?"

"Sly Cooper."

Sherman smiled, turning to the judge as he said, "No further questions your honor." Another hour passed, and soon the case had moved to closing statements. Reaper had tried to reinforce the fact that a thief and a criminal was the same thing, but his statement fell flat. It was then Sherman's turn, and the cheetah already had a grin of victory on his face.

Sherman stepped in front of the Jury as he said, "Today we have heard a lot about the actions of the Cooper gang over the years. You have heard about their hands in bringing down the Fiendish Five, the Klaww Gang, and several other crime lords. You have also heard that Sly Cooper, the master thief, has had the common decency to help Inspector Fox and to even save her life. It is because of the Cooper gang Interpol can boast of such important arrests as Mz. Ruby, Muggshot, and Clockwerk. It is through their efforts many terrible crimes have been stopped and innocents have been saved. They have even converted two hard core criminals, The Panda King and Dimitri, into upstanding and honorable thieves. So, I ask you this. If the law was written flatly, all of these people are guilty. Still, I want you to think about what the law would be doing without them. Where would are world be today without the help of Sly Cooper, Bentley Turtle, Murray Hippo, Dimiti Lounliz, Panda King, Penelope Baron, and Guru?"

Sherman then paused, walking over to the evidence table as he picked up the Thievius Raccoonus. He held it up to the jury, a serious tone in his voice, "Where would be today if it had not been for the Cooper line in general, a family of honorable thieves that value life over gold, and do not seek to harm the honest working person. Finally, I want you to think about this. Some of this crime lords were untouchable by Interpol, their own attorneys knowing the loop holes and laws that kept them out of jail and on the streets. Interpol had hit a brick wall, but it was the Cooper gang that opened a new door for them. So, by giving these people their freedom today you also give the world a chance. For, as the old saying goes, it is sometimes best to fight fire with fire, and that it takes a thief to catch a criminal."

With that, Sherman returned to his place at the defense table. Judge Lander dismissed the jury, and announced a thirty minute recess. When the recess was over, the jury had still yet to decide on a verdict. A day passed, and then a week. Finally, ten days after Sly and the others were arrested, the jury had made a decision. With everyone back in the courtroom, a tall giraffe fellow stood up, a piece of paper in his hand as Judge Lander asked, "Jury, have you reached a verdict."

The giraffe nodded his head, "Yes your honor. In the case of Interpol against the Cooper gang we find the defendants guilty."

A great silence settled on the room, and Sly looked over at Bentley, Murray, and the others as he saw there expressions. It was a mixture of surprise and sorrow, an expression he was sure was also across his face. Judge Lander nodded her head, turning to the defendants as she said, "Well, Interpol has asked me to do the sentencing of this trial today, and I will. As I look over the Cooper gang, everyone can admit that the good they have done to the world outweighs the bad. So, I will be using my power and sentencing them to the lowest possible jail time I can. I am also taking to account the large service they have done for Interpol, and cutting off further time. In conclusion, every member of the gang will serve six months under house arrest in a Interpol funded home, and will be obligated to serve a 500 hours of community service a piece, all of which must be served during their term under house arrest. Court is adjourned."

Judge Lander smacked her gavel, and an explosion of cheering filled the room. Apparently, the people who had come to watch the trial had been hoping the Cooper gang would get off easy. Sly was smiling widely as watch Murray high-five Panda King. Penelope had leapt up onto Bentley's lap, and planted a kiss on the surprised turtle's lips. Guru was muttering something, and going far to fast for anyone to understand him. Finally, Dimitri was blowing kisses to the crowd and acting like, well, Dimitri.

Sly turned, looking over at Carmelita as he flashed a charming smile at his favorite Inspector. Carmelita glared at Sly, fighting the temptation to pop him with her shock pistol. Still, she held back. If she did that now, she would be the one breaking the law. For now, Sly was safe, protected by the law instead of hunted by it. A few minutes later, outside the courthouse, that Sly and the rest of the gang began to get escorted to a waiting police car. As they walked, hundred of cameras were flashing and reports were asking questions at a mile a minute.

One reporter, a robin from Channel 4 news asked, "Sly Cooper, what's your opinion on the judges ruling?"

Sly glanced back at Bentley, who just covered his eyes a nodded his head. Sly smiled, turning back to the reporter as he said, "I would truly like to thank Judge Lander for not being as black and white about the law as some people I have met."

Another reporter pushed through the crowd, "Sly Cooper, will you return to your life of crime after this 6-month term of house arrest is over?"

Sly shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know. It all depends on a couple of things, for me at least."

"What are those things?"

Sly held up his hand, "Now, I can't tell you all of them. I can tell you one. If I do choose to go back to thieving I will always hope to see Inspector Carmelita Fox is the one leading the chase?"

The robin reporter spoke back up, "Why is that?"

Sly smiled, "Thieving is no fun if you don't have someone to keep you on our toes. Carmelita does that because she is the one officer I think can keep up with me and the rest of the Cooper gang. Also, I would miss our nighttime rendezvous, though I sometimes wish she would leave the shock pistol of her at home and come in a nice evening dress."

Some of the reporters laughed, but Sly was rubbing the back of his head where Bentley had conked him with a device on his wheel chair. Sly smiled, finally getting pushed into a police car before driving away. Carmelita stood at the top of the courthouse steps, thankful that the reporters had not noticed her presence. Otherwise, she would be just as swamped as Sly was. Also, she was in no mood to deal with the pushy news people.

Carmelita glared at the police cars that were carrying Sly and his gang to some holding cell until a house for their house arrest could be found. Sly, Bentley, Murray, all of them had gotten off with nothing worse then a slap on the wrists. All her hard work, all the years she had put in trying to catch him and he would be back at his old game in six months, and Interpol would have nothing to arrest him until he stole something else. Even then, how long would it take for Sly to slip up again, if he ever would? Carmelita clenched her fist, pounding it into a nearby column so hard it made her all of her knuckles crack. Years of work, and it all amounted to Sly being under house arrest for six months.

Carmelita had her sirens on the entire way home, not wanting to deal with the Paris traffic. She wasn't supposed to use her sirens like that, but she really didn't care at that point. She just wanted to go home, take a bath, watch the evening news, and then go to bed. Carmelita pulled up to her duplex, and began to wish Keith was still there. He had gone back to his ranch five days before the jury had reached a verdict, and Mrs. Hoot was at a friend's house playing cards. The one time Carmelita needed someone to talk to, there was no one there.

In a few minutes Carmelita was up in her apartment. She slipped into the bathroom, quickly changing out of her stuffy business attire and submerging her self in a tub of hot water and bubble bath. She let out a great sigh, the heat slowly taking away the aching her muscles and the stress of the day. It had been far too long since she had enjoyed such a nice bath. Still, if she ever needed to take a half hour and calm her anger, it was that time.

Carmelita came out of the bathroom an hour later. She dressed in bathrobe with her hair wrapped in a towel. She quickly changed into her normal clothes, since it was still only 2:00 in the afternoon. She did some long overdue cleaning through the house, and as she worked she flipped on a local channel. She then went into the kitchen, and began to clean. It was around 4:00, just as Carmelita was starting to wash dishes, when strange beeping filled the room. She took the glass she was cleaning, and moved into the living room just in time to see a local news reporter come over the screen.

It was a tigress woman with black fur and white strips. She cleared her throat, looking up at the camera as she said, "We are sorry to interrupt, but we have a special news bulletin. At 3:30 today, in front of the headquarters for Interpol Paris, the master thief Sly Cooper was shot."

The sound of breaking glass filled Carmelita's apartment as the water glass she had been cleaning crashed to the floor. As Carmelita stared at the TV in disbelief, the reporter continued, "Reports are sketchy, but it is said that the criminal Muggshot, who escaped jail for the third time in recent years, was waiting for Sly and the rest of his gang outside the Interpol headquarters. When the police cars that were transporting Cooper gang pulled up, Muggshot pulled out a rifle and shot Sly through the window of the car. Muggshot then reportedly took aim at Murray, the alleged muscle of the Cooper gang. But, before he had been able to fire off a second shot, he was wrestled to the ground by ten Interpol officers, and in such arrested. Sly Cooper is currently in the care of the doctors at the Saint James General Hospital. His condition is unknown at this time, but Interpol is showing a kind eye by allowing the rest of the gang, the only family Sly Cooper currently has, to stay at the hospital for the time being. Now, we take you back to your usual programming, which is already in progress."

Carmelita never saw the end of that movie. The second the news report was over, Carmelita was out the door. She literally jumped the fence of her balcony, and down to the grass in front of Mrs. Hoot's house. She ran to her red convertible, and with sirens blaring began to tear through the Pairs streets.

Ten minutes later, Carmelita pulled into a parking spot outside Saint James. Carmelita was out of her car before the engine had even turned of, and ran up to the hospital. She burst in the doors, looking around quickly as she spotted the nurses station. She quickly ran up, her breaths coming in quick, painful gulps, "Where… is…Sly… Cooper's… (pant)…room."

The nurse looked up, a little surprised to see Carmelita breathing so hard. She quickly typed a few things on the computer before saying, "Let's see, according to this Mr. Cooper is still in the emergency wing. If you wish to wait, the rest of his friends are currently in waiting room five-C." Carmelita thanked the nurse quickly, and ran down the hall at a full sprint. Several times she had to dodge people with large boxes or in wheelchairs, but nothing would stop her.

Carmelita finally found waiting room Five-C, and stopped outside the door. Did she dare wait inside, with the rest of the Cooper gang? Would the others even let her wait, or would they ask her to leave. Carmelita decided to take her chances, gently reaching out as she opened the door.

The room was dead silent when Carmelita opened the door. Every one was seat, even Bentley had gotten out of his wheel chair to sit beside Penelope on the only couch. There were several soft chairs in the room, all of which were occupied by the rest of the Cooper gang. There was also a coffee table, on top of which were books, magazines, and a paper. There was even a TV, but it was left off just as the books, magazines, and newspaper had been left untouched.

Bentley looked up, a glare flashing in his eyes as he asked, "What are you doing here?"

Carmelita looked over at the turtle, a kinder tone to her voice then usual, "I just heard what happened."

Bentley growled, sitting up a bit, "So, you came to rub it in our faces! Came to say Sly got just what he deserved!"

Penelope set a hand on Bentley's shoulder, trying to calm him down, but it was to no avail. Bentley continued on, his voice getting louder, "We all know you wanted Sly to be put in jail for the rest of his life! Since that happened, this is probably the next best thing, isn't it. ISN'T IT?"

Bentley took a few deep breaths as he glared at Carmelita. Carmelita returned the turtles glare, slowly walking up to him. Then, with a resounding smack, Carmelita slapped Bentley across the face, "Don't ever say those things about me. I wanted Cooper in jail, but I didn't want to see him get shot. I came here to wait, and find out if he was going to be all right. Still, if this is the company I would have to keep I think I would rather wait in the hallway."

With that, Carmelita turned, walking over to the door leaving a very stunned group of thieves in her wake. She glared back at them one final time before slamming the door, making one of the paintings on the wall fall to the ground.

Carmelita fumed out in the hallway, but soon her anger cooled as other emotions took its place. Worry, fear, and countless other depressing things crossed Carmelita's mind as she wondered, who Sly be all right. A few minutes after she left, Carmelita heard the door to the waiting room open. She turned, looking down at Bentley, who had resumed his place in his wheel.

Bentley looked up at Carmelita, a bit of guilt in his eyes, "I am sorry Inspector. I should not have jumped to such a conclusion. Please, would you like to come take a seat and wait with the rest of us?"

Carmelita nodded her head, following Bentley in. Then, they all waited together for several hours. The time seemed to crawl by, but no one bean to fiddle with anything, or try to pass the time. They all just waited. Then, at around 8:00 that night, a doctor came in asking, "Are you the ones waiting to see Mr. Cooper." The gang and Carmelita looked up as the doctor shut the door, and began to give them the news.


	3. Weapons and a Second Chance

Chapter 3

Weapons and a Second Chance

In the backwoods of Colorado, among tall pines and other forest trees, a small ranch was hidden away from the hustle and bustle of the world. It was a horse ranch, with about twenty horses in all. Most of them were race horses, and the ranch was kept alive by the prize money those horses won. In the forest surrounding the ranch, Keith was riding a pure white stallion through the undergrowth. He had heard wolves howling the night before, and needed to make sure they stayed away from the pasture where the other horses were grazing.

Keith slowly exited the forest, having found no signs of wolves, and began to ride towards the house. It was roughly 1:00 in the afternoon. Keith was a bachelor, and the only other person that lived on the ranch was his jock for the horse races, John. The ranch was laid out simple, with a barn and stables pressed up against the tree line, the pasture of to the left side of the opening in the forest with the farm house and guest house of to the right. The two houses were of the same size, but the farm house was where Keith slept while John stayed in the guest house.

As Keith rode back down into the pasture, John came running across the pasture with a worried look on his face. Since horse jockeys had to be light, John was a small gopher with just simple brown fur. He was dressed in a normal set of blue jeans and a button down T-shirt, but the one thing that never left his head was his lucky hat.

John met Keith in the middle of the field, panting as he said, "Keith, your sister just called. She was crying, and I couldn't make out a word she said. All I got was she wanted you to call her."

Keith's eyes narrowed, quickly reaching down to grab John by the collar of his shirt. With one powerful arm Keith picked John up, putting him on the back of the horse's saddle as he spurred the stallion into a full gallop toward the house. Before they even reached the farm house, Keith jumped off the horse. John quickly took the reigns, pulling the horse to a stop as Keith ran inside.

In ten second flat Keith picked up the phone, and hit the speed dial button marked, "Carm." The phone rang four times before Carmelita finally answered. In a weak, shaky voice she said, "Hello."

Keith quickly breathed a sigh of relief, thankful Carmelita answered, "Carmelita, it's me Keith. What's happened? John just came running at me in the pasture, saying you were crying."

Carmelita sniffed a few time, her voice getting weaker, "Keith, something has happened."

Keith's eyes narrowed, "What happened. Did someone hurt you Carmelita, has something happed to mom and dad."

"No, I am fine and so are mom and dad. Keith, I can't really bring myself to talk about it on the phone. Please, can you come back to Paris? I need someone to talk to, and I know mom and dad wouldn't understand."

Keith paused a second before nodding his head, "I'll be on the next flight out of Denver." With that Keith hung up the phone, and began to walk out of the house. With a few quick instructions to John, Keith made his way out to the Denver International Airport. Luckily, it was not the peak of traveling season. Keith was able to buy a ticket for a flight to the east coast. From there, he made the flight across the Atlantic Ocean to Paris. Keith got back to back flights, and was up all night.

Keith had left Denver at 7:00 the previous day, and with an eleven hour flight and the eight hour time change, arrived in Paris at roughly two 2:00 in the afternoon. Keith was dead on his feet, but he still forced himself to hop in a taxi and get to Carmelita's apartment as quickly as he could.

At 2:45, the taxi rolled up in front of Carmelita's apartment. Keith paid the driver, stepping out of the car before he began to walk up the apartment. Mrs. Hoot was sitting in her rocking chair, and had a thankful look eyes as she said, "Keith, thank goodness you are hear. Carmelita has been crying ever since she got back from the hospital last night. I can hear her through my ceiling. I want to go comfort the dear, but I can't make it up those stairs by myself."

Keith nodded his head, quickly climbing the stairs up to Carmelita's half of the duplex. Keith pounded on the door several times, but Carmelita never came to answer it. Keith was beginning to fear something had happened to his little sister, and quickly began to search around for a spare key. He found it tapped to the bottom of the guard rail around Carmelita's small balcony. Keith unlocked the door, and then opened it slow. The house was pitch black, the shades on the windows drawn shut and the lights turned off. Keith flipped the light switched, and began to look through the house. In the living room he found the shattered fragments of a glass left on the floor. In the kitchen, half finished dishes sitting in a sink filled with cold water.

Keith's nerves were about to break as he moved to the bedroom. He knocked on the door, and gently pushed it open. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Carmelita was sitting in bed, but that relief quickly disappeared when he saw the bedroom itself. Used tissues and empty tissue boxes scattered the room. A large pile of the white hankies covered the bed, surrounding Carmelita. Carmelita herself was sitting, her legs under the covers while she had her back to the head board. Her eyes were red and puffy, indicating she had been crying.

Keith moved over to the bed, looking at Carmelita who was still sitting there, trying to dry her tears with toilet paper since she had run out of real tissue paper. Keith took a seat on the bed, a worried tone in his voice, "Carmelita."

Carmelita looked up at Keith, finally realizing he had entered the room. Carmelita sniffed a few times, trying to recompose her self as she said, "He's dead, and it's all my fault."

Keith raised an eyebrow, "Whoa, wait a second, back it up Carmelita. What happened?"

Carmelita sniffed, tears pulling at her eyes, "He was being taken to Interpol, and when the police car pulled up. Muggshot, he…he was waiting there with a gun, a real gun. He sh… shot him. The bullet ricocheted off his collar bone, and pierced his heart. The doctors did all they could, but he died. He died, and it is all my fault. If I had never caught him, Muggshot would have never gotten the chance to shoot him. "

Keith reached out, taking Carmelita by the shoulder as he asked, "Carmelita, who got shot, who was killed? I need to know a name."

Carmelita sniffed, her eyes welling up with a fresh burst of tears, "Sly, Sly Cooper. He's dead."

Keith's eyes narrowed, and before he knew it Carmelita was crying openly. On instinct, Keith leaned forward and hugged Carmelita tightly, letting her tears fall onto his shoulder. At first, Keith was thoroughly confused. Carmelita had chased after the guy for years, and wanted to see him put in jail for the rest of his life. Why was she crying now?

Keith then remembered that for six months, Sly Cooper was not a thief. He was a constable and Carmelita's partner. He had also been her unofficial boyfriend, the pair growing really close. Were these tears left over feelings of those six months, or was it something else? Were they tears of sorrow because Sly died, or because she hadn't been able to say goodbye?

Carmelita cried for a good ten minutes before she stopped enough for Keith to let go. He stood up, forcing a smile as he said, "You stay right here, and I'll go make you some lunch." Keith then turned, and began to leave the room. Just before he left, he turned to the small radio sitting near the door and flipped it on. Some music came on, and began to fill the hollow space Keith left as he went to start cooking.

Carmelita didn't really listen to the music, it far too happy and up beat to make her to listen to. Then, after a few commercials, a slow song came on. The lyrics rang through the room, and Carmelita listened intently to every word.

_I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house_

_That don't bother me_

_I can take a few tears now and then _

_And just let them out_

_I am not afraid to cry every once in a while_

_Even though going on with you gone still upsets me_

_There are days, every now and again_

_I pretend I'm okay_

_But that's not gets me_

_What hurts the most, was being so close_

_And having so much to say, and watching you walk away_

_And never knowing what could have been_

_And not seeing that loving you_

_Was what I was trying to do_

_It's hard to deal with the pain of loosing you everywhere I go_

_But I'm doing it_

_It's hard to force the smile when I see our old friends_

_And I am alone_

_Still harder getting up, getting dressed,_

_Living with this regret_

_But I know, if I could it over_

_I would trade, Give away_

_All the words that I saved in my heart_

_That I left unspoken_

_What hurts the most, is being so close_

_And having so much to say, and watching you walk away_

_And never knowing what could have been_

_And not seeing that loving you_

_Was what I was trying to do_

_What hurts the most_

_Was being so close_

_And having so much to say_

_And watching you walk away_

_And never knowing what could have been_

_And not seeing that loving you_

_Is what I was trying to do_

_And not seeing that loving you_

_Was what I was trying to do_

At the end, Carmelita felt fresh tears streaking down her face. She had been blind, and all because of her black and white outlook on the law, her fathers view on the law. She now saw that even before Sly faked his amnesia, she always looked forward to those flirtatious comments he would say. Even if they were short, and ended with her chasing after him shock pistol blazing, they were always the sweetest things Carmelita ever heard.

Other guys, none of them had ever been as kind, or caring as Sly. Carmelita shut her eyes, hanging her head. Why did she realize this now, when she couldn't to anything about it. Sly was dead, and now she would never be able to tell him how much he meant to her. Words left unsaid would hang in her heart, and haunt her till the day she died.

Keith came in a few minutes later, a bowl of chicken noodle soup held gently in his hands. He passed the soup to Carmelita, forcing a smile to appear on his face, "Here, this will make you feel better."

Carmelita nodded her head, drying her eyes before she took the soup and began to eat. Keith took a seat on his sister's bed, watching as she ate. Carmelita quickly down the bowl, her stomach reminding her that she had not eaten since lunch the previous day.

Carmelita set the empty bowl on the nightstand, taking a deep breath as she said, "Thank you Keith. I am sorry I dragged you all the way to Paris just to make me some soup."

Keith chuckled, shaking his head, "Carmelita, that is what family is for. So, are you feeling better?"

"No. Keith, it is just…I realize now how much Sly meant to me. There are so many things I want to tell him, but now will never be able to. I just wish I could have one more chance. Then, I would never have found his hideout in the first place. Then, he would still be alive."

Keith nodded his head, forcing a smile as Carmelita's words echoed in his head. He then stood up, wobbling a bit as the flight and jet lag began to catch up with him, "Carmelita, you should get some rest. From what I heard from Mrs. Hoot, you cried all night. As for me, I am going to go sleep on the couch. Trust me, we'll both feel a whole lot better after a few hours of sweet dreams."

Carmelita nodded her head, sliding down in her blanket as she stifled a yawn. The simple mention of sleep had made Carmelita's eyes hang low, and as soon as her head touched the pillow she was in a deep sleep. Keith smiled, shaking his head a bit as he turned the radio off, flipped the light switch, and left the room.

Keith made his way to the living room, stifling a yawn before he laid down on the couch. He set his head on the armrest, staring up at the ceiling. As his eyes grew heavy he reached down around his neck, and pulled out the medallion he had shown Carmelita a week before. He stared at the strange symbols and the glass containers. Soon, Keith slipped of to sleep, the medallion falling to his chest.

In his dreams, Keith stood in a black abyss. All around him there was nothing. He then felt a warmth against his chest. He reached down, and realized the medallion was glowing. He held it up, and the medallion flashed. Keith squinted his eyes, the light blinding him for a moment. As his vision began to clear he saw three things floating in the darkness in front of him. One was a long sword with a blade made of black metal and glass. The second was a dagger that glowed with a blue light, and was made of silver metal and glass. The third was a staff. It was seven feet long, made of solid black metal except for a glass sphere that sat on the pinnacle, metal surrounding it like thick, thorny vines.

A voice began to fill the air as the medallion floated out of Keith's hands,

_Time is said to be like a river, flowing forever on word_

_In truth, it is like the ocean in a violent storm_

_Tossing and turning back and forth_

_Four things have the power to control this storm_

_There power comes from the sands_

_The sands are contained in the hourglass_

_The sands are created by the altars_

_Time can be changed, the past rewritten_

_But Beware_

_The Guardian of the Timeline is always watching_

Keith looked around the darkness, trying to find the source of the voice. His eyes narrowed. There was no one else there. The voice was coming from everywhere, and no where at the same time. Keith growled a bit, his voice hinting of both frustration and fear, "Where are you?"

_You know of the sands_

_Your sister seeks there power, to undo a mistake_

_Each shall be given a weapon of time, one of the four._

_The others two must be gathered, and then taken to the island_

_The altars must be awakened, the hourglass filled._

_Then, the staff shall grant the power to rewrite time_

_But Beware_

_The Guardian of the Timeline is always watching. _

Keith blinked a few times, turning his attention to the four things floating in front of him. The medallion now hung in the air beside the sword, the dagger, and the staff. Keith slowly walked up to the four weapons, his mind flashing back to what he knew of the Kronosians. There was a legend in the culture, and it described a similar set of weapons.

The Sword, Dagger, Medallion, and Staff of time, each had the power to manipulate time. Each one had glass chambers that contained and gathered the sands of time. When enough sand was gathered, then the weapons could alter time. They could rewind, fast forward, or make the wielder move faster then the rest of the world.

The weapons were broken into three sets. The Sword of Time stood alone, and allowed a manipulation of time within a ten minute period. The Dagger and Medallion of time worked together, and when someone had both of the weapons they could match the sword in power and ability. The odd weapon out was the Staff of Time. It held the greatest control over time, but could only be used in conjunction with the Hourglass. It called on all the sand contained in the hourglass, and in such could rewind or fast forward time up to a period of ten years.

Keith gulped, looking over the four different weapons of time. He reached out slowly, his hand hovering over the handle to the Sword of Time. He took a deep breath, and slowly wrapped his fingers around the weapon. He felt a sudden energy surge through his body, and then the sword disappeared. The strange voice filled the air again, this time a bit weaker

_You have chosen your weapon_

_Now, you must choose what your sister will wield._

Keith looked back at the remaining three weapons, and reached out for the medallion of time. He gently touched the small medallion, and it vanished. The staff and dagger soon followed, and before Keith knew it he was staring at the roof of Carmelita's apartment.

Keith rubbed his head, "What a strange dream?" He then tried to sit up, but there was a strange weight on his chest. Keith opened a lazy eye, and then gasped. Lying on top of him was the Sword of Time. In the other room, Carmelita was also slowly waking up. She sat up in her bed, stretching as she slowly opened her eyes. She slid over to the side of her bed, and set her feet on the floor.

Carmelita stood up, yawning as she walked over to the bathroom. As she walked, her foot caught on one of her boots, which had been lying on the floor. Carmelita tripped, and began to fall. Just before she hit the ground, Carmelita felt herself stop. As she felt a strange warmth appear on her chest, Carmelita saw the world turn black and white. She then slowly began to stand back up, her fall reversing itself.

Carmelita blinked a few times, standing in the middle of the room. She looked down at the floor, and saw the boot she had tripped on, or had she tripped on it. Carmelita shook her head, she needed coffee. Carmelita gently stepped over her boot, and went into the bathroom. She quickly showered, but was surprised to discover Keith's medallion hung around her neck.

Carmelita showered and did her normal morning routine, and in about thirty minutes stepped out of her bedroom. She walked down the hall, holding the medallion in her hand as she called, "Hey Keith, isn't this your medallion."

When Carmelita walked into her living room, she saw Keith was surrounded by a clutter of papers, and talking to someone on the phone as he wrote quickly on a note pad. Sitting next to him was a strange black sword with glass mixed into the blade. It had designs that were similar to the designs on the medallion, but Carmelita only managed to ask, "What, what are you doing to my living room?"

Keith looked up at Carmelita before his eyes flew back to his note pad, "I'll explain in a few minutes. Please, I made some breakfast. It is waiting in the kitchen. Go ahead and eat. By the time you're done, I'll have an explanation ready."

Carmelita opened her mouth to protest, but Keith was already talking back to someone on her phone. Carmelita groaned, walking into the kitchen. She sat down, and picked up her silverware as she slowly began to eat. Carmelita suddenly realized that the medallion was no longer in her hand. Carmelita looked around, but felt a weight against her chest. She looked down, and saw the medallion hanging gently off her neck. Carmelita raised an eyebrow. When did she put the stupid thing on, and why?

A few minutes later, after Carmelita had eaten breakfast and was now on her second cup of coffee, Keith walked into the room. He took a seat at the far end of the table, reading something off of his note pad as he took a sip of his own coffee. He soon downed the entire cup, but still hadn't looked up from his notes.

Carmelita, beginning to get a little impatient with her brother, asked, "Now, what is going on?"

Keith looked up from his note pad, "Well, there is good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?"

Carmelita groaned, "After last night I need a bit of good news to start my day."

Keith nodded his head, putting down the note pad, "Well, you noticed that somehow you got my medallion around your neck, correct?"

Carmelita nodded her head, "Yeah, but didn't you put it around my neck."

Keith shook his head, "No, I didn't. Here, let me tell you the whole story." Keith then told Carmelita all about his dream, the mysterious voice, and the four weapons. When he finished Keith took a sip of his second up of coffee, clearing his throat before he said, "In short, last night you said you wanted a second chance. That if you could, you would have never exposed Sly and his gang. Well, I think the medallion heard your request."

Carmelita blinked a few times, trying to wrap her mind around everything she had just heard, "So, you're saying that the sands of time are real. That is impossible."

Keith shook his head, standing up as he walked out into the living room. He came back holding the long, black metal, sword with the glass chambers in the blade. Surprisingly, Keith quickly raised the sword above his head, and swung it down on Carmelita's table. The table broke in half, and Carmelita was about to shout when the world lost all its color. Gray took over everything, and Carmelita was in awe as she saw Keith's sword raise up, the table repair itself, and Keith take a few steps backward.

The color soon returned to the world, and Keith walked over to his seat as he set the sword down on the table. He looked up at Carmelita, a bit of a smile on his face, "What do you say now?"

Carmelita gulped, staring at the sword. Had that really just happened, had time reversed itself to a point where Keith hadn't turned her table into toothpicks? Carmelita gently reached down, picking up the medallion off of her chest as she held it up. Unlike before, she could see a golden substance glowing in each of the nine outer chambers. Carmelita looked away from the medallion, her eyes flashing as she asked, "What is the bad news then?"

Keith sighed, leaning back in his chair, "Well, if we did want to reverse time much farther then ten minutes we would need all four of the weapons of time. Also, we would have to go to the island where the Hourglass resides, and fill it with sand. Then, using the Staff of Time we could rewind everything back to the night you were on that roof, watching out for Sly and his gang. The problem is actually getting the Staff and Dagger of time, the other two weapons. They are display in a museum, and I highly doubt we would be able to get the museum to let us borrow them. In short, to get the other two weapons of time we would have to, um…, steal them."


	4. A Little Help

Chapter 4

A Little Help

Carmelita stood in her bedroom, looking at her reflection in the mirror that hung off her bathroom door. She still couldn't believe what she was about to do, but if she ever wanted to see Sly again, she had to do it.

Carmelita had gone away from her usual attire, needing something a little less familiar. Her hair was back in its usual ponytail, but she had dark green long sleeve shirt and a pair of black pants. Around her neck hung the medallion of time, which stood out nicely against the green shirt. She had put on a pair of old running shoes in place of her boots, and had left her collar and badge lying on the dresser. She stared at the mirror, taking in her new clothes.

Keith walked in a few minutes later, calling to Carmelita that they needed to go. Carmelita nodded her head, turning as she walked towards her brother. Since he had come to Paris so quickly, they had to go out the day before and buy him a few new sets of clothes. All of them had been a combination of button down shirts, ties, and black pants that went with the single suit jacket they had bought. Keith looked more like a business man then a rancher, but it would do.

Keith and Carmelita walked out of the apartment, and into the cool night air. They moved silently down the stairs, and walked down the street to Carmelita's car. Keith had moved it away from the apartment earlier the previous day so they would not wake up Mrs. Hoot. Carmelita hopped into the driver seat, letting the engine of her red convertible roar to life before she pulled out into the nearly empty Paris streets.

Carmelita still wasn't sure about herself, but what other option did she have. With some searching on the internet, Keith had found the Staff and Dagger of time. The problem was they were on display in the Cairo Natural History Museum, the same museum that had housed the Clockwerk parts. They were apart of the museum's lost civilizations exhibit. The museum had also undergone a recent renovation, installing a new, top of the line, security system.

Carmelita had dealt with the museum's curator before, and knew he would never give up the Staff and Dagger of time willingly. That meant the only way to get them was to steal them. That was only half the problem though. To have any hope of stealing the weapons of time Carmelita and Keith needed help, and Carmelita could only think of one group of people who might even consider helping them.

Still, Keith had made a good point about the entire affair. If everything worked, time would be rewound to a point long before they ever stole anything. That meant it would be like the Staff and Dagger of time were never stolen, and Carmelita would have never asked anyone to help her steal anything. Still, Carmelita wondered, would she be able to forgive herself. She and Keith would be the only ones that remembered what happened originally. Carmelita worried that, after stealing the Staff and Dagger of time, if she would be able to return to a life as an officer of the law, and just forget it ever happened.

Carmelita couldn't think about it much long as the Interpol Impound car lot came into view. Keith jumped out of the car, glancing back at Carmelita as he said, "I meet you at the address as soon as I can."

Carmelita nodded her head, biting her lip a bit as she fought the urge to call the whole thing off. Then, an image of Sly flashed in her head, smiling at her with that crooked, but of so kind smile. Carmelita felt her determination return, as a few words pounded in her heart. She had to tell Sly everything, and to do that they needed help.

Carmelita drove off a few moments later as Keith snuck into the impound lot, the Sword of Time strapped securely to his back. Carmelita cruised the Paris streets, making her way to a residential district. Most of the buildings were run down, but Carmelita's eyes searched the sides of the street like a hawk. She then saw what she needed, a larger house with six bedrooms and each one of them filled with someone she knew.

Carmelita pulled up in front of the house, looking around. She smiled, Interpol had done just as she suggested. In place of wasting man power watching the house, they had used new tracking devices that were attached to a person's ankle. If the person left the grounds, then the trackers would send an alarm to Interpol. It was simple, it was efficient, and it was the easiest thing to get around, at least for her.

Carmelita stepped out of her car, doing one final check around the block before she began to walk up to the house. Carmelita's eyes shifted around nervously, hoping that that she wasn't being watched. Carmelita soon reached the door, gently knocking it a few times. Carmelita waited several minutes, hoping to hear footsteps. Instead, the door opened and Carmelita saw the handicapped Bentley staring up at her.

Bentley was a little surprised, but managed to ask, "What are you doing here Inspector?'

Carmelita glanced over her shoulder, and then looked back at the thoroughly confused Bentley, "I need to talk."

Bentley nodded his head, backing up a bit to let Carmelita in. The vixen inspector stepped in the door, shutting it quickly before she turned to Bentley and asked, "What if I said there is a way to bring Sly back?"

Bentley stared at Carmelita for a few moments, and then replied, "I would call a mental hospital. Sly is dead, and there is no way to bring him back."

Carmelita shook her head, "I am not asking if you think it is possible or not. I am asking that if you could, would you bring Sly back to life."

Bentley stared at Carmelita a few minutes, mulling over the question in his head before he nodded his head, "I would do anything if it brought Sly back."

Carmelita smiled, and quickly told Bentley everything she knew about the sands of time, and how they could rewind time to a point where Sly was still alive. When Carmelita finished, Bentley was in absolute shock. He was having trouble believing anything he had just been told. Still, Carmelita had shown him the medallion, and he had also heard of the legend of the sands of time.

Finally, Bentley sighed and asked, "All right, let's say I believe all this, and that you are actually prepared to steal for Sly's sake. What's your plan?"

Carmelita smiled, digging in the pocket of her pants before she pulled out a small electronic device. She held it in front of Bentley, a smile slowly spreading on the turtles face as Carmelita said, "I have the key to your ankle trackers, and I have someone bringing your team van even as we speak. I get your guys out of here, and you help me steal the Dagger and Staff of time. Then, all of us can go to the home of the Kronosians and if everything goes as planned time will be rewound to the point before I even arrested Sly. Then, it will be like none of this ever happened, and the only two who will know any of this ever did happen will be me and my brother."

Bentley rubbed his chin, his eye reflecting the many thoughts and concerns running through his mind. Finally, Bentley looked up at Carmelita and said, "Do you promise that if we do this, and you do go back in time, you won't arrest us a second time."

Carmelita nodded her head, "I promise."

Bentley nodded his head, and then smiled as he wheeled out of the room, grabbing the electronic key from Carmelita before disappearing into the rest of the house. Carmelita sat and waited for several minutes until she heard footsteps coming down the hall. She turned, and saw what remained of the cooper gang standing in the back of the room. Murray was in his wrestling get up and everybody else was what they would consider their field clothes.

Bentley rolled up to Carmelita, offering her a hand, "Welcome to the Cooper Gang Carmelita."

Carmelita stared at Bentley's hand for several minutes, his words bouncing around in her head. This was her last chance to back out. If she left now, she could forget about the whole thing. Then again, just as Carmelita was questioning her decision Sly's smiling face popped into her mind. He would do the same for her if, even if it meant he had to give his life to save hers. Now, it was her chance to do what Sly would have done in a heartbeat. Carmelita stretched out her hand, shacking Bentley's as they all heard a car horn blare from outside. It was official, there were a pair of Fox's working with the Cooper Gang.

Bentley quickly used the electronic key to release the trackers on gang's ankles. With their trackers removed, the gang crept out of the house. Keith was stepping out of the team van, looking up and down the street as he waved at Carmelita. Carmelita ran forward, motioning towards her convertible while Murray leapt into the driver seat of the Cooper Gang van.

Bentley rolled up to Carmelita's door and said, "Follow us to one of our other hideouts. We should be safe there until I can get us some plane tickets to Egypt. Once were in the land of the Nile, I'll begin planning a way for us to steal the Dagger and Staff of Time."

Carmelita nodded her head, and Bentley was about to role away when he paused, looking up at Carmelita, "By the way, thanks." Carmelita stared, a small smile forming onto her lips as Bentley rolled away. Carmelita then turned to Keith, a frown forming on her face, "This feels so wrong."

Keith nodded his head, "How do you think I feel. I just stole a bloody van. I can just hear father's voice, his face turning that bright radish red like it has only two times before. Still, it's too late to turn back now. Wheels are in motion, and the only way you and I can make it so none of this ever happened is with the weapons and the hourglass of time."

Carmelita nodded her head, "Your right, it is too late. Now, we will just have to see this through to the end." With that, Carmelita started her car and followed Murray as he pulled the van out into the Paris streets. The two car convoy moved silently, taking back streets and alley's as they reached the Paris city limits. The gang drove all night, never stopping until they turned off the highway and onto an old dirt road.

The dirt road led through a thick forest for several hours before it came up on an old abandoned house, lost in the endless sea of trees. Murray pulled around the back of the house, slipping the team van into a metal car port that was behind the dilapidated house. Carmelita and Keith came in behind Murray, parking beside the carport before stepping out. Carmelita looked up at the old house, and began to wonder why Bentley had them come to such an old house. It had to be at least a few hundred years old, and it looked like it would collapse at the slightest touch. Still, Bentley just hopped out the back of the team van and began to wheel towards the side of the house.

Bentley rolled up to an old cellar door, quickly opening the pair of old wooden door. He then used his wheel chair to jump up into the air, small rockets on his wheels kicking into gear as he slowly descended down into the houses basement. Carmelita, Keith, Murray, and the others followed, climbing down the old wooden stairs. It was pitch black under the house, but once everyone was clear of the stairs Bentley flipped on a light switch and revealed what had been hidden in the dark.

The basement looked like a military bunker. The walls were firm, solid concrete with a large number of monitoring equipment and a large computer pushed up against the right hand wall. The rest of the room had some light, homey, furnishings that include stuff for a living room, dinning room, and a kitchen. Against the back wall, hidden in the corner, was a single steel door with several firm locks on it.

The door led to a hallway that connected all the bedrooms for the bunker, which had recently been expanded to include the newest members of the Cooper gang. Each room was unique, reflecting the many different personalities on the team. Bentley's bedroom could be compared to a computer superstore. Penelope's was filled with a large number of RC vehicles and spare parts. Murray's was a mixture of a child's room and a workout studio. Guru's room resembled his old hut back in Australia, without the stink of the unspeakable deed Murray had done. Panda King's room was oriental in style with a futon in place of a bed. Finally, Dimitri's room was the perfect place for the lounge lizard to do his favorite thing, chill and enjoy his own coolness.

Keith and Carmelita were shocked to see such a modern hideout hidden beneath the house. As they stared off in awe, the rest of the gang went about satisfying their hunger or catching up on the sleep they had missed. Murray and Panda King were already making breakfast in the kitchen while Dimitri had disappeared into his room, a soft snore soon echoing through the hideout.

Bentley was already over at his computer, catching up on the happenings on Theifnet. Penelope watched over Bentley's shoulder, her eyes darting across the screen quickly. The only one that seemed to just be doing nothing was Guru, but in truth he had taken a seat on the floor near the steps, meditating.

After a few minutes Carmelita moved over to sit down on the couch, and watch the morning news while Keith went to help Murray and Panda King in the kitchen. The three of them were just starting to get into an argument about what kind of coffee to make when the morning news came on. The three cooks turned to look at the TV while Bentley and Penelope came over from the computer.

A leopardess news reporter in a dark blue business suit and medium length black hair sat in front of the camera, her serious voice echoing inside the hideout, "Now, for our top story. Reports are coming in from Interpol that the Cooper Gang has escaped custody. An Interpol representative said that each member of the gang had been fitted with a radio tracker, and the tracker could have only been removed with an Interpol authorized key. This is leading investigators to believe that someone in Interpol assisted the Cooper Gang with their escape. They have no leads at the moment, but Interpol is confident that the gang will be quickly recaptured. Without their crafty leader Sly Cooper, who died of a gun shot wound a few days ago, the gang poses little threat. Now, here is Bill with the weather."

Carmelita was on the edge of her seat, her tail twitching back and forth as she continued to stare at the screen. Keith looked over at Bentley and said, "I hope you can get us airplane tickets quickly. If we are still in France when Carmelita and I are linked to the escape, it will take every angle in heaven for us to escape our father."

Bentley nodded his head, "Yeah, being the head of the Spanish division of Interpol gives him a lot of power. He could have every inch of Paris swarming with officers in an hour. All right, I'll get back to work. I have a few favors I can call in, and should be able to get us a plane by tomorrow afternoon. Still, everybody make sure you are ready to move out on a moments notice."

The rest of the gang nodded their heads, going back to what they were doing. Keith hung back, looking at Carmelita as he saw her tail continue to twitch uncontrollably. Her determination was waning, and for the first time in years Keith could tell Carmelita was terrified. Her whole career, her whole life rested on the fact the sands of time would work, and would be able to rewind time. Keith breathed a sigh, moving over to Carmelita as he set a hand on his sister's shoulder, "Hey, you going to be okay?"

Carmelita looked back at Keith, the worry reflecting in her eyes, "At this point, it really doesn't matter. It's too late to turn back, too late to change my mind. I have to see this through, not only for Sly's life but for my own."

Keith smiled, "Carmelita, you are the only Interpol officer that has ever been able to keep up with Sly. That both speaks highly of you and poorly of the other Interpol officers. Trust me, it would take a miracle to catch you if you didn't want to get caught."

Carmelita scoffed, "Of yeah, what about you?"

Keith shrugged, turning back towards the kitchen, "I just hope you have room to help me escape as well. Otherwise, just the wrath of heaven rain down because I am as good as dead."

Carmelita chuckled, turning back to the news as the weather kicked out and the sports came on. Soon, Murray called everyone to dinner. The meal was eaten over conversation and laughter as the gang enjoyed their first real meal since they had been placed under house arrest. Interpol had not tried at all to impress the gang with their very small, tasteless meals. Though, the rest of the gang did feel better when Carmelita said that Interpol tried to stuff the same gunk down the throats of its officers.

That night, most of the gang slept peacefully. There was one, however, that did not sleep. Keith stayed up most of the night, looking over several sheets of new information he had been able to verify thanks to the Sword and Medallion of Time. Keith continued to read over the many pieces of paper, filing away every word into his own memory.

For a long time Keith had known of a legend, and he believed it had Kronosians origins. Now, he was sure of it. The legend spoke of a Persian prince that had an extended encounter with the Sands of Time after the fall of the Kronosian culture. There were, however, two pieces of the legend that Keith was particularly interested in. The first was the Mask of Wrath. The mask supposedly was powered by the sands of time. The mask would take someone back in time a large distance, and then they would exist in the time line with their alternate selves. It was only when their past self perished that a person could remove the mask, and pick up where they left of.

The other part of the legend spoke of the Dahaka, and that is what worried Keith the most. The Dahaka was the guardian of the timeline, a manifestation of ancient power. All Kronosian philosophers believed that the Dahaka had existed since time had begun, and would exist until the end of everything. Keith looked over the only sketch ever made of the Dahaka. It was rough and looked like a large man surrounded in shadows. However, the Dahaka had a pair of ghastly ram's horns with long black tentacles flowing from his back.

Keith yawned, rubbing his eyes as he set his notes off to one side. He slipped down into his bed, reaching up to the lamp before he glanced across the room. His eyes rested on the sword of time, and he wondered. What if the Dahaka came, and tried to stop them from altering time. Would they be able to stop it? Keith sighed, turning off his reading lamp before lying on his bed, thoughts of the sands and the Dahaka falling away into shadows.

The gang slept peacefully all night, and awoke bright and early. Everyone had sat down to breakfast when Bentley looked away from his plate, his ears picking an up a strange sound. He rolled away from the table, moving over to his computer as he checked all of his monitoring equipment. The sound came again, and Bentley's eyes narrowed. It was the radar, someone was outside the house.


	5. Fearsome Father

Chapter 5

Fearsome Father

In a few short minutes, the one dot on the radar had become one hundred. As Bentley worked over his computer like a man possessed, he began to tell the others what was happening, "Interpol must have raided my files back at our last hideout, and discovered the location of all our safe houses. I hadn't even thought that anyone would be able to break into one of my computers. It proves I need to update my inscription algorithms."

Penelope shook her head, "Don't worry about that now. Tell us, how bad is it outside?"

Bentley nodded, his fingers flying over the keyboard, "Well, I can see everything I need through our security camera network. There are ninety Interpol officers, nine ranking commanders, and one person I can't get a good look at. He, however, he seems to be the one commanding all of this, but he just won't come into view of my cameras."

Murray cracked his knuckles, a heroic smile crossing his face, "Don't worry Bentley, The Murray has bested fifty foes before. One hundred is nothing against my strength."

Bentley turned, raising an eyebrow, "How about one hundred highly trained Interpol officers. Each one equipped with a shock pistol, bullet proof body armor, helmets, and let's not forget the fact all of these officers are probably expecting a visit from The Murray."

Murray froze for a few seconds, and then sighed. Panda King smiled, patting Murray on the back, "It is all right my friend. If we can't use your strength, then allow my fireworks to blast away those Interpol officers. Under a show of beautiful fire, we can escape."

Bentley shook his head again, "Sorry Panda King, but your fireworks are grounded. Those officers would have you knocked out and arrested before you could even light the fuse. What we need is something RC."

Penelope nodded her head, quickly running to her room. A few minutes later, she came back with her helicopter, "My copter's got a full tank of gas and enough narcotic bombs to put the entire city of Paris to sleep." Bentley gave Penelope a thumb's up, and pressed a button on his computer. The door to the houses cellar, where the real hideout was, opened as Penelope set her helicopter down on the floor.

Outside, the Interpol officers all readied there guns as the cellar doors opened wide. They all waited patiently, wondering what was going on when a small blur flew up into the sky. The officers all looked up in time to see Penelope's RC copter begin dropping bombs all across the area. The bombs crashed into the ground, each releasing a puff of green smoke. Several officers began to yawn, and soon most of the officers were sleeping soundly on the ground.

Penelope was beaming as she watched her helicopter make short work of the Interpol officers. Soon, there was only one officer left. Penelope smiled, flying her helicopter toward the final officer. The rest of the gang looked on with anticipation, expecting the final officer to fall as easily as the others. Then, at the last moment, the final officer pulled out his own shock pistol, and took aim.

Penelope began to dart her helicopter around, but the last officer remained as steady as stone until the right moment. Then, with a gentle click the shock pistol fired. The ball of electricity flew through the air, and struck Penelope's RC chopper. The miniature helicopter began to smoke, twirling around faster and faster until it finally crashed into the ground.

Penelope was staring at Bentley's computer screen in shock, her jaw hanging loose, "My…my…my helicopter."

The rest of the gang was staring at the screen, trying to get a good look at the last Interpol officer that was standing. Carmelita and Keith, however, didn't have to look at the screen to know who was outside. Only one person they knew had that deadly of aim. Their father Carlos Fox, the head of Spain's division of Interpol, had to be the one that pulled the trigger.

Carlos grumbled, putting away his shock pistol as he came out from behind a nearby tree. He had seen the cameras hidden through out the forest, and decided to stay out of view. Now, as he stepped into the open grass around the house, the entire gang saw just who Carlos Fox was.

Carlos could easily be seen as Carmelita's father, and had a very imposing figure at that. Being the head of the Spanish Interpol attested to his abilities easily enough, but the guy was also as tall as Panda King. He was also very trim, and could probably beat Murray in an arm wrestling contest. Carlos also had the look of big trouble because he was dressed in an all black business suit. Just think of a body builder as a MIB agent, and that would describe Carlos Fox.

Carlos moved out into the yard, taking of his black sunglasses as his tail twitched in irritation, "If you are done sending out toys, can I speak with Bentley Turtle? No tricks, no back up. I just want to know where my daughter is."

Bentley turned his wheelchair around, his eyes resting on Carmelita, "What is he talking about?"

Carmelita shook her head, her own tail twitching madly, "I don't know. I am just surprised that he has caught up with us so fast."

Keith rubbed his chin, his eyes moving down to Carmelita's shock pistol. Keith then snapped his fingers, quickly pulling the shock pistol out of its holster as he looked it over. After a few minutes, Keith handed the pistol over to Bentley and said, "Pry it open, I bet you'll find an Interpol tracking device inside."

Bentley took the shock pistol, eyeing it with a confused look, "What are you talking about? They don't put tracking devices in these things."

Keith laughed, "Yeah, that's true, but that was Carmelita's gift from our father when she first entered Interpol. Trust me, if I know Carlos, there is a tracking device."

Bentley nodded his head, and began to take the shock pistol apart as Penelope asked, "Still, that doesn't change the fact the head of the Spanish Interpol is waiting outside the door for Bentley. There is no way we are going to get out of here without him realizing it."

Dimitri broke in, apparently breaking under the pressure, "OH MAN BROS, ITS EVERY DUDE FOR THEMSELVES. I AM BLOWING THIS POP STAND BEFORE DADDY FOX COMES IN AND GIVES US ALL CEMENT SHOES."

Penelope glared at Dimitri, "All right, here are the new rules. 1st rule, get over yourself. 2nd rule, seriously get over yourself. 3rd rule, remember rules one and two. 4th and final rule, sit down and calm down before I throw you out of here."

Bentley snapped the finally piece of Carmelita's shock pistol back together, having taken out the tracking device, "All right, the chip is out but that still leaves Carlos waiting outside our door. We need a distraction so we can get to the van, and get out of here."

Keith smiled, an idea popping into his head, "Carmelita, feel like giving up your coat?"

Carmelita gave Keith a strange look, but nodded her head as she gently slipped off her yellow jacket. Keith smiled, taking the jacket before saying, "I'll be right back." Keith then darted into the bathroom, grabbing the sword of time as he went. Carmelita and the Cooper Gang gave each other a questioning look.

Keith came back out fifteen minutes later, Carmelita's coat held firmly in his hand. The jacket itself had been stained with blood, and Keith had a set of bandages across his arm. Keith walked up the stairs, glancing back at the gang as he said, "Give me a few minutes to lead Carlos away. With the sands of time I should be able to avoid his shock pistol blasts for a while. That will give you guys a chance to get to the airport and get to Cairo. I'll try to meet up with you there, but if I don't everything you'll need to know about the sands of time on a CD on Sly's old desk."

Carmelita walked up to Keith, giving him a deadly glare, "And what do you propose to do if our father catches you."

Keith shrugged, "Hey, it's not a perfect plan, but you must remember. If everything works out, none of this will have ever happened. I'm trusting you to see this through to the end. Then again, you do always finish everything you start."

Keith then turned, and walked up the stairs and out the cellar doors. Carlos raised an eyebrow, eyeing Keith for a few seconds. Keith had swung Carmelita's blood spattered coat over his shoulder, hiding it from view. After a few moments, Carlos asked, "Keith, what are you doing here?"

Keith smiled, "Oh, just came out here for a little change of pace. How are things back home?"

"They're just fine, though I am wondering why you are here with the Cooper gang."

"Well, let's just say someone needed a little information from me. Now that they have it, I can trust a certain person to do what needs to be done."

Carlos nodded his head, his right hand beginning to reach for his shock pistol, "So, what's that thing you're holding onto."

Keith looked over his shoulder, slowly pulling Carmelita's coat into view, "Oh this, its just Carmelita's coat. Though, I don't think it will ever be quite the same color of yellow, if you know what I mean."

Carlos froze, his shock pistol almost dropping from his figures as he saw the several patches of blood on Carmelita's coat. In an instant, Carlos's attitude changed. His eyes became hard, and he brought his shock pistol up as he fell silent. Keith froze, his eyes narrowing as he dropped Carmelita's coat.

Carlos looked down the barrel of his gun as Keith reached over his shoulder, his hand resting on the hilt of the sword of time. The pair stared each other down, and then Carlos pulled the trigger. A large shock pistol blast erupted from his gun, and at the same time the world began to loose all its color. Keith pulled out the sword of time, dropping down to dodge the shock pistol blast as time continued to slow down.

When time had slowed to a crawl, Keith turned and began to run towards the forest. With the sands of time working with him, Keith was able to dodge all of Carlos's shock pistol blasts as he lead the very angry father into the forest.

A few minutes later Carmelita and Penelope stuck their heads out off the cellar doors, looking around before motioning to the others. In ten minutes the gang had everything they needed loaded up in the van. Carmelita had stopped for a few seconds to pick up her jacket, looking at all the blood stains. She couldn't wear it through the airport. Groaning slightly Carmelita let the coat drop back down to the ground before she got into the team van with the others.

By noon the gang was at the airport, and had already passed through airport security. As the gang made their way to the gate, Carmelita couldn't help but feel the many strange looks she was getting. Without her jacket, all she had on in terms of a shirt was her back halter up. That left Carmelita felling a bit more exposed then she would have liked.

When the gang found their gate, the guys took a seat and waited for the plane while Carmelita and Penelope went out to get Carmelita a new jacket. As they browsed a collection of clothes in a certain store, Penelope said, "Hey Carmelita."

Carmelita, who was looking at a navy blue windbreaker, "What is it?'

"Why are you doing all of this anyway? I mean, why are you going through so much just to bring Sly back?"

Carmelita blinked a few times, falling silent as she tried to think of a good answer for the question. She set the blue jacket back on the clothes rack, and sighed, "I just…well…There are just some things I have to tell Sly. Some words that if left unsaid, I won't ever be able to forget."

Penelope nodded her head, "I know that feeling." At that moment, Penelope froze and glanced over at Carmelita, who was looking at Penelope with a bit of curiosity flashing in her eyes. Penelope quickly turned away, busying herself with some dark green blazers a few feet away.

After a few more minutes, Carmelita finally settled on a new coat. It was a long black coat that reached down to her knees. It was made of simple cotton, and the inside lining was very soft. Carmelita smiled, putting the coat on as she and Penelope left the store. She would have preferred to have her yellow coat back, but the black one would do just fine.

Back in Paris, at the headquarters for the Paris division of Interpol, Keith sat patiently in an interrogation room. Carlos had captured him eventually, the sword of tie running out of sand before Keith could get away. Now, Carmelita's coat was in the crime lab and Carlos was watching Keith through the two way mirror.

Carlos had his arms crossed, his fingers gently tapping against his arm as he waited. A few minutes later, an armadillo in a lab coat came walking up to Carlos, a piece of paper in his hand. Carlos took the report, looking it over. His eyes ran down the page, taking in all the information before he turned and began to walk towards a nearby door.

Keith glanced over as the door to the interrogation room opened. Carlos walked in, gently taking a seat across from Keith as he glanced over the report a second time. Keith had been given a chance to change, getting into a set of blue jeans, white T-shirt, cowboy boots, and a black hat.

After a few silent minutes, Carlos sighed and handed the paper over to Keith, "Do you know what that is?"

Keith shook his head, glancing at the numbers and diagrams on the paper, "No, but I bet your going to tell me."

"That is an analysis of your blood and the blood we found on Carmelita's coat. They match, and that means that is your blood on the coat. So, why don't you tell me exactly what is going on? If you do I can get you out of this mess, say you were forced into working with the Cooper gang."

Keith set his elbows on the table, folding his hands as he said, "You want to know what's going on. Well, I am afraid that I can't tell you that."

"And why is that Keith?"

Keith shrugged, "Simply, it would be in Carmelita's best interest if I don't say a word."

Carlos raised an eyebrow, "Are you saying that the Cooper Gang is holding Carmelita, my daughter and your sister, hostage."

Keith shrugged, "I wouldn't say hostage, but I can defiantly say she is spending a lot of time with them."

Carlos rubbed his eyes, pulling his hand down to the table, "Can you at least tell me what their goal is? What are they trying to steal?"

"Hmmm…if they were trying to steal anything, it would be a second chance."

Carlos sat back in his chair, "A second chance?"

Keith nodded his head, "Someone needs a second chance, to say what was left unsaid. To let out had been kept locked away. That person has set her sights on bringing Sly Cooper back, and I am sure she will succeed. It is all a matter of time."


	6. Arrival In Cairo

_Sorry it's been so long since I updated, but time seems to have been working against me lately. Still, I struggled through and made sure to finish this next chapter in time for three day weekend. So, I hope everybody who reads this can sit back, relax, and enjoy._

Chapter 6

Arrival in Cairo

The Cooper Gang and Carmelita stepped off of their flight in Cairo. The gang had to wait a few minutes for Bentley to get off, but when the handicapped turtle came of the plane he said, "All right, let's go to baggage claim. Once we have our stuff we'll pick up team van, which was on a UPS airplane an hour ago, and head to the safe house. I secured a location within walking distance of the Cairo Natural History Museum."

The others nodded their head, following Bentley as he wheeled down the terminal. An hour later, after getting their fake passports stamped, the gang walked out into baggage claim. Bentley stopped, wheeling back a few paces as he said, "Stop, stop you guys."

Murray walked up behind Bentley, bending down as he asked, "What's up Bentley."

Bentley hit a button on his chair, making his binocucom pop up in front of his face. Bentley pressed his eyes against the audio/visual device and zoomed in on some figures on the far side of the room. As Bentley groaned, pulling his eyes away from the binocucom, "Interpol."

Penelope shook her head, "No, they can't have followed us."

Bentley rubbed the bridge of his nose, mentally kicking himself, "Yes they can, considering I left the airlines webpage on my computer back in Paris. They probably called the airline and found out what flight we were on. Were just lucky we got this far without getting stopped."

"Hey, don't beat yourself up about it Bentley. Everyone makes mistakes, especially when they are being rushed."

Bentley looked over at Penelope, smiling, "Thanks, but that still doesn't change the fact we are going to have trouble getting to the van, let alone getting out luggage, unless." Bentley turned, eyeing Carmelita. During the flight, Bentley had taken the time to read all of Keith's notes on the Kronosian Culture and the Sands of Time. Considering they were trying to steal the Dagger and Staff of Time, he thought it would pay to know a little bit of the weapons' history. That little bit of knowledge was just about to pay off.

Bentley turned to face Carmelita, punching a few buttons on his armrest as he said, "Listen, Carmelita, according to Keith's notes you have the Medallion of Time, correct."

Carmelita nodded her head, gently picking up the medallion of her neck to show everyone. Bentley smiled, "Good, now here is what you are going to have to do." A small monitor rose out of the back of Bentley's wheelchair, and began to flash different images and text as Bentley described his plan.

When Bentley finished, Carmelita's tail was twitching around like crazy. Bentley's plan would work, but she would have to use the sands of time. The only time her medallion had ever-changed time was that morning when she tripped on her boot. Still, that time it seemed like the sands of time had worked on their own accord. She had never actually commanded the sands for herself.

While the rest of the gang looked on, Carmelita slowly made her way out into the baggage claim area. She took a deep breath, gently touching the medallion. Keith's note said that to command the sands of time, you had to exert your will over them. You had to touch part of a weapon of time, and mentally tell the sands what you wanted them to do.

Carmelita swallowed, trying to relieve a knot that was forming in her throat. She closed her eyes, concentrating on the sands of time. Around Carmelita the world began to loose its color, falling in to a mixture of black, white, and gray. Carmelita opened her eyes, looking around as she saw the many people in the airport slowing down. Behind her, Bentley, Murray, and the others seemed to be staring at her, but in truth they were all just caught in the middle of blinking their eyes.

Carmelita slowly stepped forward, amazed she was able to move at a regular pace compared to the rest of the world. Carmelita began to make her way across the room, walking between the baggage claim machines as her eyes took in everything. Everyone else had slowed to a crawl. A mother was walking with her girl, who was dragging a teddy bear along the ground. A beaver in a business suit was talking on a cell phone while typing on a laptop.

Carmelita finally made her way across the room, stepping up to the pair off Egyptian members of Interpol. It was a pair of horses, one a pitch black while the other was a chocolate brown. The two were talking, one caught with a wide grin on his face as if he was laughing. Carmelita looked the pair over. They were just a pair of constables. That didn't seem like a very smart move on Interpol's behalf.

Carmelita then froze, looking more closely around the baggage claim area. Interpol was never that sloppy. There had to be more officers, but where. Carmelita's then began to use her cop intellect, thinking just where she would put officers if she was leading the investigation. Soon, Carmelita was spotting more and more undercover officers hidden amongst the crowd. Carmelita scowled. Bentley's plan was to disarm the two officers they had seen earlier. Now, she had spotted at least thirty other officers hidden amongst the normal travelers and tourists in the airport.

Carmelita gritted her teeth, the number of officers far more then just overwhelming. There was no way for her to disarm all of them, which had been Bentley's original plan. Carmelita then noticed something else. Color was beginning to return to the world. She grabbed her medallion of time, holding it up at eye level as she saw the first sand chamber run out.

Time began to resume its regular pace, the sounds of the airport baggage claim area coming back to Carmelita's ears. The scene then began to shift as the many undercover cops noticed Carmelita's presence. From every corner of the room bodies were moving, pulling out shock pistols as they filtered through the crowd.

Carmelita looked around anxiously, her mind mentally ticking off the time it would take before an officer came into firing range. She then saw an opening, rushing towards baggage carousal as the warning light began to blare. The conveyer belt began to move as luggage came up from beneath the floor, where airport personnel unloaded the heave cases.

Carmelita leapt up onto a carousel, moving over to the belt that came up from the airports basement. With a quick fluid motion, Carmelita ducked into the open vent just as an Interpol officer let off a shot. The electrical shock blast hit the vent, exploding harmlessly as the many officers went in pursuit.

As luggage tried to come up the conveyer belt, Carmelita darted around and over them to stay ahead her old coworkers. Carmelita glanced back, noticing a few more nimble officers slowly closing the gap between them. Carmelita looked forward again, her hand reaching out as she began to turn different suitcases up, creating more difficult obstacles for those behind her.

In a few minutes Carmelita exited the luggage vent, entering into the airports basement to the amazement of several staff members. Before anyone could say a word Carmelita jumped off the conveyer belt, and noticed the nearby control panel. Carmelita darted over, pushing the conveyer operator out of the way as she pulled the throttle on the conveyer belt. The belt began to speed up, sending the luggage up the vent at amazing speeds. Carmelita smiled when she heard a thump, the speed of the conveyer also knocking over the officers that had been following her down the vent.

Carmelita smiled, gently waving at the completely confused airport staff as she ran towards a nearby baggage vehicle. The train on wheels was idling, its cars completely empty except for a few stray suitcases. Carmelita jumped in the car, shifting it into gear as the rest of the Interpol officers came down the stairs, shock pistols blazing.

Carmelita ripped out of the airport terminal, driving out onto the airport tarmac. Carmelita looked back, unaware of the smile gracing her face, and saw the Interpol officers streaming after in similar baggage trains. With shock blasts flying all around, Carmelita darted around the constantly moving airplanes as she headed towards the front of the terminal.

Adrenaline, danger, and uncertainty, Carmelita was feeling all that and more. Even more then that, she was enjoying it. Carmelita had a wide smile on her face, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly as she dodged planes and shock pistols bullets. Even with that, Carmelita felt that something was wrong.

Carmelita then thought about Sly, the thieving raccoon that had been so annoying, yet so charming over the years. He would never have been content escaping on a slow, safe baggage train. If he ever had, she would have caught him in a heart beat. Carmelita then saw a much better means of escape, and it was just about to take off.

The pair of Interpol officers closest to Carmelita were trying to peg the baggage trains wheels. They almost managed to shoot the tires when Carmelita suddenly veered away from the terminal, heading out towards the airplane taxi lanes. The officer driving, a Doberman pincher, turned to his partner and asked, "What is she doing?"

The officers continued to chase Carmelita, even as she headed out onto a runaway. A nearby plane was starting to rev its engines, beginning its take off. Carmelita felt a wide smile spread on her face as she brought the baggage car up beside the plane. Then, while keeping a hand on the wheel, Carmelita began to stand up. With her old colleagues watching in amazement, Carmelita leapt up onto the plains open side. It was an older style army paratrooper plain, the one with the open sides.

The plane then took off, leaving the rest of Interpol racing to get off the runway before a large jet liner came down on top of them. Carmelita stuck her head out of the planes door, smiling as the ground fell away. She then felt a tap on her shoulder. Carmelita turned, looking into the face of a very angry badger.

The badger, dressed in army camouflage, glared at Carmelita as he shouted, "WHAT IN MOTHER RUSSIA ARE YOU DOING ON MY PLANE."

Carmelita smiled, gently walking past the badger as she look out the other side of the airplane, "Don't worry, I won't be here very long." Carmelita then saw what she was looking for. Sitting in the airport parking lot, sticking out like a sore thumb, was a dark blue van surrounded by a large group of people.

Carmelita turned back to the badger, a smile still on her face, "Hey, can I borrow that." Carmelita then reached out, grabbing the badger's parachute of the ground as she moved over to the left side of the plane.

The badger, becoming very angry with the entire situation, bellowed, "YOU CAN'T BORROW MY PARACHUTE."

Carmelita shrugged, strapping the chute onto her back, "Fine, then I'll just keep it when I am done." With that Carmelita gave the badger a very casual salute before jumping out the plane. The badger ran up to the door, looking out as parachute opened and began to carry Carmelita down towards the airport parking lot.

On the ground below, the rest of the gang was in a frenzy. They were all worried that Carmelita had gotten captured, but Guru was first to notice the parachute unfolding above them. Penelope was the next to notice, pointing up as she shouted, "Look, Carmelita's up there."

The rest of the gang looked to the sky as Carmelita floated down, gently in an empty parking spot. Carmelita smiled, pulling the parachute of her back as she said, "That was more fun then I have had in years."

Bentley grumbled, rolling up to Carmelita, "Well, I am glad you enjoyed yourself. Why didn't you stick with the plan?"

Carmelita crossed her arms, looking at Bentley with a smile still playing at her lips, "Well, let's see. Your plan was to disarm two officers, and there were at least thirty officers in that baggage claim. So, since your plan didn't quiet fit the bill, I made up my own."

Bentley groaned, turning around as he rubbed the bridge of his nose, "I thought Sly was the only one who had trouble following plans. Still, we can't get argue about it here. We have to get to the safe house. So, everybody, get in the van. It's time we got to work." Bentley wheeled over to the van doors, opening the doors before using his wheelchair to jump in. The rest of the gang laughed a bit, stepping into the van. Bentley always had been a bit of a worry wart.

Two hours later, after Murray stopped at a gas station for a snack, the gang reached the safe house. It was just a simple abandoned store, but it was large enough to comfortably fit everyone. Carmelita helped move things into the hideout, and then made her way to the roof.

From the top of the old, two story, building Carmelita could see the roof of the Cairo Museum. She gently held the medallion of time in one hand as she sat on the edge of the safe house's roof. Her eyes were drifting between the museum and the medallion in her hand.

After the adrenaline rush had gone away, and normal senses had returned, Carmelita realized what she had. Resisting Arrest, Stealing, Reckless Driving, and so many other things she could be charged with. Still, what made Carmelita cringe the most, as if her leg was being broken, was the fact she had enjoyed doing it. What kind of cop had fun stealing, had fun running away from the people she had once called her colleges?

Carmelita sighed, looking up at what few stars shown through the city lights. Keith had said that if everything went as planed, it would be like none of it happened. She and Keith, they were to be the only two that would know Sly had ever been killed. The only ones who knew what they had done to bring him back to life. Still, Carmelita now began to wonder. Could everything just go back, or would the simple memory be enough to change the course of life, for both her and Keith."

Several thousands of miles away, a private jet plane was flying in the direction of Cairo. Aboard the plane were several high ranking Interpol officers, all of them relaxing in the very comfortable aircraft interior. With recliners and tables, it was a great way to fly. Among the officers was Carlos, who was sitting in a larger recliner with his eyes focused on the table in front of him.

Lying on the table, a gentle shimmer coming of the black metal, was the sword Keith had been using. Keith was also aboard the plane, but in the back, locked in a cell inside the cargo hold. He had refused to say anything about the strange weapon, but Carlos just had a gut feeling, the sword was more then it appeared.

Carlos was then thrown from his thoughts when his cell phone began to ring, the theme to opera Carmen. Carlos whipped out his phone, placing the device up against his ear as he asked, "What do you want?"

"Sir, Carmelita was just spotted in the airport baggage claim. Unfortunately, she escaped arrest. We did not catch sight of the rest of the Cooper Gang, but we know they were on the same flight."

Carlos nodded his head, "All right, spread out your search. Try to find out where they have gone. I'll be arriving in a few hours, and you can tell me how Carmelita escaped then."

"Yes Sir." With that, Carlos shut the phone and stood up from his seat. He gently grabbed up the strange black metal and glass sword, holding it loosely in one hand as he moved towards the back of the plane. He walked by a guard, toting a much more powerful shock rifle, before passing through a door. Behind the door, Keith sat reading a book.

While the main part of the plane was very luxurious, the back was far from it. A single, normal airline chair sat in the center of the very tight space. The entire area was painted a dull grey, a single light in the center of the roof filling the room with luminescence. Then, there were the cage bars, adding to the whole feel that Keith was a prisoner, not a guest.

Keith looked up from his book, tipping his hat back as he said, "What can I do for you Carlos."

Carlos grumbled, shutting the door, "I told you, call me father or dad. Not Carlos."

Keith shrugged, gently placing a bookmark where he had stopped reading and set the book down, "All right, father, what do you want?"

Carlos moved up to the bars, placing his hands behind his back, "I know you won't tell me what the cooper gang is trying to steal."

"Well, I am glad you finally realized that simple fact, after trying for nearly twenty hours."

Carlos glared at Keith, turning his back to the cage as he looked over the black sword in his hands. He then turned back towards Keith, holding the sword up to the light as he ran his hand down the blade, "What is so important about the sword. When you were arrested, the one personal item you kept was this. Also, I am sure I saw it glowing during our chase through the woods."

Keith sat forward in his chair, a smile slowly creeping on his face, "Very observant, and yes there is something special about that sword."

"And?"

Keith picked up his book, cracking it open as he said, "And it's something I have spent my life learning about. If you can't connect the dots from there, I have overestimated your intuitiveness."

"We'll see about that," Carlos spat, his anger flaring up as he turned to leave. With the sword held tightly in one hand as he left, slamming the door behind him. Keith smiled, looking down at his book as he shook his head. He could have told Carlos everything, and still it would make no difference. One way or another, Carmelita was going to get her second chance. It was all a matter of time.

Carlos stomped back to his chair in the main part of the plane, dropping the sword on the nearby coffee table. With a grumble and a groan, Carlos sat down, covering his eyes as he began to think about what Keith had said. It was something he had spent his life learning about. Carlos sat up, rubbing his temples, "What could he mean, the only thing he has ever really studied are the blasted Krol, Kromos…no…it's the Kronosians and their blasted sands of time."

Carlos froze, his eyes floating over to the sword. For the first time, his eyes focused on the glass chambers built into the sword. There, swirling gently in the containers was sand. Carlos stood up, moving to the center of the room as he said, "All right everyone, get on the phone with anyone you can. Get a hold of every museum, art gallery, and place in Cairo that deals with artifacts. If they have something that is tied to the Kronosian culture, I want to know about it."

The other Interpol officers nodded their heads, each one pulling out a cell phone as they began to dial different numbers. Carlos moved over to a window, looking through the thick glass and down at the Mediterranean Sea. Without Sly Cooper, he didn't think the Cooper Gang could be much of a threat. Still, he wouldn't make that same mistake twice.


	7. Stealing Time

Chapter 7

Stealing Time

Carmelita, Penelope, Dimitri, Panda King, Guru, and Murray waited patiently as Bentley prepared his slideshow projector. The device began to hum to life, a bright light glowing up on the white wall of the hideout as Bentley stepped back. The slideshow projector clicked, the first image moving into place.

Bentley cleared his throat before saying, "All right guys, here is what we are looking at. Since the last time Sly, Murray, and I broke into this museum there has been a lot of changes. The Sword and Dagger of Time are kept in new section of the museum. This section is the pinnacle of security, and there is no way to get in unless you have the card key, which is kept with the curator at all times."

Panda King nodded his head, "A daunting challenge indeed, but I doubt we would have come all this way unless you have found a hole in this wall of security."

Bentley smiled, "You got it Panda King. There is a way to force the security system to deactivate. Now, we are going to have to break into two groups. Dimitri, Guru, and Murray will head to the east wing. There is a security computer in a large aquarium tank. I need you guys to get into that tank and put this computer disk into that computer. At the same time Panda King, Penelope, and I will be heading into the west wing where there is a second security computer. I will hack that computer, and then us that same terminal to hack the computer in the tank. That should open the emergency exit door to the new northern wing, and allow Carmelita to get the Dagger and Staff of Time."

Carmelita sat up a bit, her conscience digging at her heart like a tiger, "I'm the one that has to take the Staff and Dagger?"

Bentley nodded his head, "That's right Carmelita. Right now you're the closest fit to Sly level of agility, limberness, jumping ability, and on the run thinking. This museum would prove a challenge to Sly, but if we are to get Sly back you will have to rise to the challenge."

Carmelita sat back, nodding her head half heartedly as Bentley continued to run through the details of the plan. Inside Carmelita's mind, a war was raging with new force. Since the whole thing had started her mind has been fighting, trying to convince her to just get out and turn the Cooper Gang in to Interpol. Still, till then her heart had been able to force down the traitorous thoughts and keep her moving on.

Still, now it was the point where her mind was screaming it loudest protest. She was a cop, Inspector Carmelita Montoya Fox. Her job was to stop crime, to prevent in justices. If she stole, she would be turning against a lifetime of morals. It was eating her up, and apparently Bentley had been expecting it.

As the presentation finished Bentley clapped his hands together, and said, "Come on guys, let's get to work. Penelope, get Carmelita changed. Right now, she isn't quiet ready to dodge security beams and spots lights."

Carmelita raised an eyebrow, not quiet sure she liked where things were going. Yet, before she could protest, Penelope had already grabbed Carmelita's hand and hauled her across the room, the door to her bedroom shutting with a resounding snap. Bentley, Dimitri, Guru, Murray, and Panda King got the van loaded with what they needed, and double checked a few things before Penelope walked back on the room, a broad smile on her face.

Penelope cleared her throat, sounding very official as she said, "Gentlemen of the Cooper Gang, I am proud to present the newest member of our gang, dressed and ready for the field."

A moment later Carmelita walked into the room, and everything feel silent. Carmelita had been wearing her usually blue jeans and halter top, but that had all changed. She was now wearing black denim jeans with her usually boots replaced with dark colored, soft souled, running shoes. She was wearing a black, long sleeve shirt that completely covered her arms, chest, and stomach. To touch it all off, she was also wearing the black jacket she had bought at the airport and one of Sly's old blue hats.

Bentley nodded his head, "That will do. The black will help you hide from any guards you might encounter. All right gang, its time to get to work. The museum is only a few blocks away. Most of us will ride in the van. Carmelita, you will need to go on foot and find your way to the museums staff entrance. Then, wait for further instructions."

Carmelita nodded, and joined everyone else as they moved out of the safe house. The van's engine hummed to life a few minutes later, Carmelita watched as it drove of into the Cairo streets. Carmelita then took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves before she began to walk towards the museum.

As Carmelita walked towards the museum, the urge to turn around and forget the whole thing grew. With each step, Carmelita's conscience was screaming more and more loudly, "YOU'RE A COP. YOU CAN'T WORK WITH THE LIKES OF THEM. YOU CAN'T STEAL. YOU ARE AN OFFICER OF THE LAW."

Carmelita groaned, the urge growing to a point where she actually stopped dead in her tracks. Carmelita wanted to take a step forward, but every other part of her being was screaming to take a step backwards. It was like she was standing on the edge of the cliff. One more step, and down she would plummet.

Carmelita then looked at a nearby store, her reflection dancing in the glass. Carmelita was a little surprised what was reflected in that window. Usually, she saw herself in the mirror and saw Inspector Fox of Interpol. She almost always had her shock pistol at her waist, and she would have never gone anywhere without her badge. Now, however, she didn't have either. She didn't have her badge, she didn't have her pistol, and she didn't even have her normal clothes.

For the first time, Carmelita knew for certain that Keith hadn't been right. If everything worked out time would be rewound to a point where nothing had happened, but yet the memory would linger in Carmelita's mind. She saw, for the first time in her life, someone else staring back at her from the mirror. This was another life, something else Carmelita could have become instead of an Interpol Officer. Right now, Carmelita found that she looked like a thief.

The long black coat to conceal weapons or to hide ill gotten gains. The all black attire to disappear in a shadow, or hid in plain sight. The worst of it, thought, was when Carmelita took a good look at Sly's hat, which was sitting gently on her head. With that hat, she could almost look like the ringed tailed thief.

As Carmelita's thoughts drifted back to Sly, she began to realize something else. She need to steal, to lie, and do so much else, but it was all worth it. Having Sly alive, having the chance to tell him the secrets of her heart and then smack him in the head for some stupid comment. She was willing to steal for that, and suddenly Carmelita felt she had already taken a step forward. She had stepped off that cliff side, and was now falling freely. She was ready to become a thief, and to do what needed to be done to bring Sly back.

Carmelita walked towards the museum with renewed force, her confidence growing when the towering Cairo Museum of Natural History was in full view. Carmelita moved quickly, disappearing into an alley behind the museum as she searched for the staff entrance. The entrance itself was not that well hidden, great white letters on the doors surface attesting to its purpose. Carmelita smiled, standing beside the door as she waited for Bentley's signal.

Inside the museum, the rest of the Cooper Gang were already at work. Murray, Guru, and Dimitri were already racing through the east wing, a bit behind schedule. This was due to the fact that, while passing through an Australian exhibit, Guru had spotted a new Moon Stone. It had only take a few minutes to pry the stone free of its exhibit, but that was a few minutes they couldn't waste.

Murray was the first to spot the large aquarium tank, the interior decorated with a large coral reef. Dimitri dropped a bag he was carrying, changing into his wet suit while Murray and Guru worked on getting the lid of the tank. Since both Murray and Guru had power over the dream time, though Murray's was very limited, the pair worked together to pry the bolts off the tanks cover.

When the bolts were all lying on the floor, Murray climbed up the ladder on one side of the tank, and put all of his strength into pushing the tank lid off. At first, the heavy glass plate refused to budge. Then, with a little bit of a slid, the tank's cover began to give way. Murray put all his weight into pushing against the glass, and soon their was a big enough opening for Dimitri to slip in.

Murray slid down the ladder on the tank, looking over at Dimtri as he said, "It's all yours buddy. You got that disk Bentley gave you."

Dimtri held up the disk, his pinky finger through the hole in the center, "No worries Bro, I got it going on. Now, it's time for Dimtri to show off his funky fresh skills."

Murray smiled, stepping out off the way as Dimitri climbed the latter. Once Dimitri was out of ear shot, Murray bent over to Guru and asked, "Did you understand anything he just said?"

Guru shook his head, walking around to the front of the tank as Dimitri dove in. Dimitri floated in the water for a few moments, getting his bearings before he began to swim towards the bottom of the tank. Murray and Guru watched with face pressed against the tanks glass.

Dimtri reached the bottom of the tank, searching for the computer. At first, he couldn't see any sign of the waterproof PC, but his eyes did catch something out of place, a power cable. Dimitri followed the cable, unaware of the shadow that was following him. The power cord led to a large, plastic clam. Dimitri set down his harpoon gun, getting both his hands in the clam's mouth as he forced it open. Resting inside the mass of plastic was the computer, humming gently in the water.

Dimitri smiled, holding the disk out as he swam up to the computer. Dimitri slipped the disk into the drive, and typed a few commands before looking back at Murray and Guru. He gave them a thumb's up, but noticed that they were jumping around manically, like they were trying to warn him about something.

Dimitri then noticed the tank grow a little dark, and looked up to see something swimming above him. Dimitri tried to grab his harpoon gun, but was shoved to the side by the large creature. Then, the creature got underneath Dimitri and pushed him all the way to the surface.

Dimitri came careening out of the water, crashing down on the museum floor below. Dimitri stood up, shacking his fist up at the creature, "You stupid dolphin, no body throws Dimitri like a bag of potatoes."

The dolphin laughed, doing a backward tail walk before diving back into the water. Dimitri began to march towards the tank, rolling up his sleeves before Murray caught the angry lounge lizard and said, "Leave the poor thing alone Dimitri, we got the job done anyway."

"Obina, cor plato mo orato", Guru rambled off as he pointed at Murray's binocucom. Murray nodded, pulling out the purple device. He held the binocucom up to his eyes, turning on the radio as he said, "Bentley, the disks in the computer and were heading back to the van."

On the far side of the museum, Bentley pulled out his own Binocucom and said, "I hear you loud and clear Murray. See you at the rendezvous." Bentley then turned back, looking over the interesting puzzle laid out before him, Panda King, and Penelope. The second security computer was in the Ancient China exhibit, and hidden in one of five special boxes.

Each box looked exactly the same, and all five were rigged with alarms. The boxes had to be opened in a specific order to avoid setting of the alarm. The sequence was only known to the museums coordinator, but the man was known to be absent minded. That is why an each box had an animal of China mythology painted on its lid. The animals then related to a riddle which was hidden somewhere in the exhibit.

As Panda King and Penelope searched the room for the riddle, Bentley closely examined each box, and the images painted on their lids. The pictures included a dragon, a tiger, a panda, a monkey, and snake. The dragon was in the center, with the panda and monkey to the right and the snake and tiger to the left.

Penelope came running over, a smile on her face as she held out a piece of paper, "I found the riddle."

Panda King pulled his head out of a cannon, walking over as he whipped some soot of his head, "What does the riddle say Bentley."

Bentley unfurled the paper, his eyes reading over the page as he said, "To find the treasure of silicon and steel you must fit a creature to each of the five clues. A creature of great length comes first, his entire body covered in scales from fangs to feet. The next in line is a creature of wisdom, who wears the balance of good and evil on his fur. The third creature is one of intellect, hiding in the shadow of palm trees. The fourth creature is one who makes his presence known, a great howl breaking the silence of any forest. The final creature carries with him the treasure."

Penelope, Panda King, and Bentley stared at the paper for a few minutes, each wondering what the answer to the riddle was. Bentley focused his attention on the first riddle, his eyes glancing up as he said, "I think the first box we need to open is the snake."

Penelope nodded, not questioning Bentley logic as she tried to open lid. Just as Penelope released the latch on the box, Panda King said, "Wait Penelope, I believe the first clue refers to the dragon."

Bentley looked over his shoulder, "What do you mean Panda King?"

"Look, the riddle speaks of a creature that has scales from his fangs to his feet. Last time I checked, snakes don't have feet. That makes me believe that the dragon, a creature with four sturdy legs, would be the answer to the first riddle."

Bentley rubbed his chin, looking up at Penelope, "What do you think?'

Penelope scratched her head, "Panda King makes a good point. I say go with it." Bentley nodded in agreement, and Penelope moved over to the dragon box. She flipped the latch, and slowly opened the lid. The museum's alarms remained off, and the three breathed a sigh of relief before continuing on with the riddle. The answer to the second was the panda, a creature who wore the balance of good and evil, black and white, on his fur. The third creature was a tiger, a hunter whose strips allowed him to hide in the striped shadows of a common palm tree leaf. The fourth creature was easily the monkey, since no one had ever heard a snake howl.

Bentley, Penelope, and Panda King stood in front of the snake box, each a little anxious as Bentley gently lifted the lid. Lying within the wooden crate was a computer, which gently hummed to life. The box around it sank into the floor, allowing Bentley to wheel up to the consol and begin running his hackers code.

Carmelita leaned up against the staff entrance, just starting to doze off when she heard a strange sound coming from her pocket. Carmelita looked down, digging in the pocket of her black jacket. Carmelita's fingers wrapped around something she hadn't expected to find. It was a small microphone with a built on earpiece. Carmelita stared at the object for a few moments before she raised it to her head. After slipping the ear piece into her ear, Carmelita adjust the thin, wiry, microphone so it was beside her mouth and said, "Hello?"

Carmelita flinched, her hand flying to the volume control on the headset as Bentley said, "Why didn't you pick up earlier."

Carmelita groaned, rubbing her ear, "I didn't even know I had this blasted thing, and thanks for shouting in my ear."

"Sorry, but the security system is down. You can head in the staff entrance. Then, follow the museum signs to the entrance to the northern hall. You should be able to see all the way down to the exhibit where the Dagger and Staff of time is on display. Watch out though, there were a few security laser and spotlights I wasn't able to shut off. You can't trip any of those alarms, or this whole operation is going to be a bust."

Carmelita nodded, "Okay, I'm on my way."

"Remember Carmelita", Bentley said before turning off his binocucom, "The rest of this is up to you. Everyone else has to be in van, ready to go, when you come running out of the museum."

Carmelita turned, looking at the staff entrance as she took a single deep breath, gently whispering, "I can do this." With that, Carmelita reached out, silently opening the door before slipping inside. Most of the Museum was black, the only light coming from the occasional window. Still, years of chasing after Sly in the dead of night had given Carmelita a knack for making out her surroundings inn the dark.

Carmelita slowly moved down the museum halls, following the sign that pointed to the museums north hall. Then, the entrance to the northern hall came into view. Down the long line of exhibits, paintings, and artifacts Carmelita saw at layer upon layer of security, half of them moving. The whole hall looked as if it were a great, dark creature with its mouth opened wide, showing the dangers that laid within.

Carmelita was sure there wasn't a way through the lasers, and was about to call Bentley when she noticed something. It was a part of the first wall of lasers that just didn't seem right to her. Upon closer inspection, Carmelita saw that the crisscrossing security lasers had left a hole large enough for someone like Sly to slip through. Carmelita was seeing the weakness in the laser wall, another skill she could attribute to her career in Interpol. To stop the thief you had to make sure he didn't have the opportunity to steal, and that meant spotting a security system's every weakness.

Carmelita moved forward, gently stepping through the opening in the security wall as she entered the northern wing. Carmelita took each laser wall one at a time, her eyes looking over each barrier and finding the one or two places she could slip through. On a few Carmelita had to get a running start, jumping straight through the hole with only a few inches to spare on either side of her body.

The last barrier, however, proved very difficult. Like a few before it, the lasers were set on motors so they gently swept back and forth over the area. The problem, the sheer number of lasers made it almost impossible to find an opening. Then, even if Carmelita saw one, it would disappear a second later.

Carmelita stood and stared at the laser barrier for five minutes, and began to see the pattern the lasers repeated every couple minutes. She then took a few steps back, getting down into a starting position as she waited. Carmelita watched the lasers closely, her memory playing back the motions she had seen. Then, at just the right moment, Carmelita sprinted forward. Just as she reached the barrier, an opening began to form. With a great leap Carmelita cleared the opening, and passed through the barrier.

Carmelita's landing was not as graceful. She had tried to do a hand spring, bring herself back onto her feet. She didn't realize, however, that the floor rose up a few inches in front of her. With a resounding thud Carmelita crashed onto her back and tail. Carmelita groaned, slowly standing up as she held her back, "Owww…I'm going to feel that later."

Carmelita then looked up, her eyes meeting with the information plaque for the display in front of her.

_These artifacts are believed to have originated from the mysterious Kronosian Nation. Ancient text says that the race had a mastery of time, and that they used weapons like these to control the powerful sands of time._

Carmelita looked up, her eyes resting on the two things she had come for, the Dagger and Staff of Time. The staff and dagger just looked just as Keith had described them. The dagger was like the sword of time, but made with silver metal instead of black. The dagger's many glass chambers also held sand that, for some reason, glowed a dull blue instead of the common yellow. The staff of time was at least seven feet long, a glass sphere fixed to its tip by metal that looked like they could have once been vines.

Carmelita stared at the two weapons of time, her hand gently resting on the medallion around her neck. Then, from behind her, Carmelita heard a terribly familiar voice shout, "FREEZE."

Carmelita looked into the glass display case, seeing the reflection of someone with a shock pistol standing just a few feet behind her. Carmelita frowned, the figure slowly stepping forward as he said, "Put her hands in the air, you're under arrest." It was Carlos, good old dad.

Carmelita raised her hands, but did not turn around as Carlos drew closer and closer. The elder fox smiled, letting of his hands drop down to his belt, grabbing a par of handcuffs as he said, "Good man, you know when to give it up."

Carmelita waited, listening as Carlos drew closer and closer. Then, she began to call out to the medallion of time. The disk of metal and glass grew warm against her chest, and in an instant Carmelita felt the world around her slowing down. She, however, could still move at a normal pace.

Carmelita remembered from the airport that the sands of time would only work for a few minutes. She quickly began to work, smashing her elbow into the display case and causing the glass to tumble out across the ground. Behind her, Carlos was just beginning to pull the trigger of his shock pistol. Carmelita could see the weapon charging up, and quickly spun around and kicked the end of the pistol. This threw Carlos's arm up, and would send the shock pistol blast careening into the ceiling.

Carmelita then turned back to the display case, reaching in as she grabbed the dagger of time. She then moved over to the other display case, smashing the glass before grabbing the staff of time. Carmelita then ran, placing the dagger of time in her coat pocket as she carried the staff. Then, the second chamber in the medallion of time emptied and the world began to resume its pace.

Carlos flinched, seeing his shock pistol fire of a bolt of electricity into the roof. He then turned, eyeing the thief as he began to let off a barrage of shock pistol blasts, his voice ringing through the hall, "GET BACK HERE, OR I'LL LOCK KEITH UP AND THROW AWAY THE KEY."

Carmelita froze, stopping just a few feet in front of the first laser barrier. She looked back at Carlos, thankful that the shadows in the room hid her face. Carlos nodded his head, slowly walking forward with shock pistol at the ready, "Yeah, you heard me you Cooper Gang vermin. You don't want Keith to take the fall for your crimes, do you? So, her is the deal. You put that staff and dagger on the floor, and back away from them. Then, you are going to call your buddies and tell me where my daughter is. You do that, I'll release Keith from custody. If you don't, I can guarantee that you will be joining him."

Carmelita paused a second, disguising her voice. She needed to know where Keith was, and to do that she would have to ask Carlos. Carmelita coughed a few times, lowering her voice down so it sounded as if she was a man, "Where is Keith?"

Carlos smiled, pointing over to a corner of the room, "He's right over there." Carmelita turned, but didn't see Keith anywhere. In truth, Carlos had just been waiting for the right diversion. With Carmelita's gaze searching the room for Keith, Carlos was able to rush forward and slam her to the ground. The staff of time dropped to the ground, and Carlos smiled as he kept Carmelita on the ground, the weight of his body resting firmly on her back.

Carlos smiled, reaching down as he gently turned Carmelita's head over, "Now, lets just see who is this thief that's been running around with the Cooper Gang."

Carmelita grunted, trying to fight her father's forceful grip. In the end, Carmelita wasn't able to stop Carlos from seeing her face. In an instant, the elder fox froze, his blood running cold as he said, "Carmelita?"


	8. Weapons Unite

Chapter 8

The Weapons United

Carlos was in shock, but instead of backing off of Carmelita he drove his knee deeper into her back, "How could you do this Carmelita? How could you turn your back on everything I taught you? A criminal is a criminal."

Carmelita strained under her father's weight, trying to force herself free, "No, your wrong. Criminals aren't just criminals. For the greater good, some laws must be broken. To save a life, it is sometimes necessary to steal."

Carlos growled, quickly snapping back, "The laws off our world are strict, and should never be interpreted as if they were kind or just. You are either law-abiding or breaking, there is no in-between. Breaking one law is like breaking another, and should be dealt with in the manner the law dictates. If you steal, you face the full punishment of the law. Just like if you commit a murder, you are responsible to bear the consequences. Still, I will give you one chance Carmelita. If you tell me, right now, that you were forced to steal these artifacts I can help you save your career, your life."

Carmelita gritted, trying to force herself up off the ground. In the end, she could not beat her father's raw strength. Carmelita sighed, her will to fight starting to diminish as a tear rolled down her cheek. She had failed. As that single tear, an emotion filled drop of sorrow and regret fell it landed on the medallion of time.

Across Cairo, grumbling as he waited in a holding cell, Keith noticed something. On the far side of the room, outside his cell, the Sword of Time was beginning to glow brightly. Keith stood up, moving up against the bars as he watched the sands of time pour from the sword, and envelope the weapon of time. Then, in the next instant the sands disappeared, and the sword of time along with them.

Back in the museum, Carmelita felt a surge of energy through her hand. She opened her eyes, and saw the sword of time had appeared in front of her. It glowed with a bright, warm, yellow light. Across the floor, the dagger and staff of time began to glow as well. Thin trails of light began to creep across the floor, like a crack making its way across a stone. The three trails of light drew closer to Carmelita until they touched the medallion of time. In that instant, Carmelita felt a sudden numbness cover her body, and her vision was enveloped in swirling sand.

Carmelita suddenly found herself standing outside, in the middle of a vast desert. The endless sand dunes gently turned in a none existent wind. Carmelita looked around a bit, wondering how she had ended up in the desert. Carmelita began to take a few steps, her feet sinking deeply into the sand.

Carmelita then felt a sudden shift, and ground underneath her giving way. Carmelita struggled, trying to lift her feet free, but only sinking deeper with every motion. Carmelita began to struggle harder, pushing her hands down on the sand. Still, the sand continued to pull Carmelita further and further down.

Carmelita continued to struggle and fight against the pull of the sand, but soon only her head was left above the sands surface. Then, the sand seemed to rise up and pull Carmelita underneath. The next thing Carmelita knew she fell down onto a hard stone floor. Carmelita groaned, rubbing her back as she looked up. The ceiling of the room was flowing, turning sand that seemed to hold itself above the chamber.

The circular wall was lined with six doors, each one made of the same sand colored stone that made up the walls. On each door a drawing had been carved in the stone barrier. As Carmelita looked around at each door, she saw that the images on the doors resembled the weapons of time. There were two doors, however, that were different then all the others.

One door looked much older then the others, and was made of a pitch black stone. The second resembled most of the other doors, but the symbol wasn't of a weapon, but a mask. The door was also covered in a thick layer of dust, as if it hadn't moved in decades. Carmelita set her hand on the door, pulling away dust covered fingers when she heard the sound of stone scrapping against stone.

Carmelita turned in time to see the door with the medallion of time carved in its stone slid open. A gentle breeze began to fill the room, and the smell of open forest reached Carmelita nose. The door called to her, and Carmelita slowly stepped through the opening.

Carmelita suddenly found herself standing in a serene mountain scene. The calm silence, filled with only the chirping of birds, was a sight of beauty for anyone's eyes. Carmelita looked around the open hilltop she was standing on, and her eyes were drawn to a large mansion that was hidden amongst the trees. Carmelita could see someone sitting on a large deck that looked over a large, smooth lake.

Carmelita was to far away to see who the person was, and before she could take a step her vision was suddenly surrounded in sand again. The sand flashed, dark red images dancing in front of Carmelita's eyes, and all of them involved Sly. There was the first time they had met, when she had been given the job of protecting an Opera Diva's most prized jewel. From them, Carmelita saw the most memorable moments she had of Sly. There were crimes all across the world, and even the kiss they pair had shared on the top of Clockwerk's dark volcano fortress.

Carmelita's senses then returned, the medallion of time growing cold as she felt Carlos shifting his weight around in her back, digging for his hand-cuffs while keeping her pinned. Carmelita thought about the images. She had to remember why she was doing it, why she had turned against her career and stole the dagger and staff of time. It was for Sly, the one person she knew who would have given his life, his knowledge, everything he had just to make her smile.

Carlos smiled, pulling out his handcuffs as he said, "Now, this is your last chance Carmelita. Were you forced into doing this?"

Carmelita turned her head, looking at Carlos. She paused a second, the words sticking in her throat. Then, a final image of Sly, smiling as he gave Carmelita a gentle nod of his head, made the word escape Carmelita's mouth, "NO."

At that moment Carmelita found a new strength, forcing herself off the ground with Carlos's full weight bearing on her back. Carlos tipped over, surprised by the sudden shift and crashed down onto the museum floor. Carmelita stood up, quickly grabbing up the staff, dagger, and sword of time. She slipped the dagger into the pocket hidden inside her coats lining, and then began to run with the sword and staff of time in hand.

Carlos regained his footing quickly, standing up as he pulled a small remote control out of his pocket. He held it out, his eyes becoming cold as he said, "Then, I am sorry Carmelita, but you are no daughter of mine."

With that Carlos's thumb fell down on a button on the remote. The security system in the museum roared back to life, the laser walls down the northern hall increasing in number by at least ten fold. Carmelita stood in front of the first laser wall, her eyes met with the blazing red beams as Carlos pulled out his shock pistol. Carmelita bit back a growl, her hands tightening on the sword and staff of time. She would not be a rat in a cage. Carmelita then saw it, an opening in the laser wall. The moving lasers were so chaotic there was no rhythm, but Carmelita knew what she saw and knew what she needed to do.

The four weapons of time began to come to life, each working with the other three as time began to rewind. Carmelita, however, was able to remain in place as time rewound further and further. She then saw it, the opening in the fence was slowly reforming itself. At that moment, time came to a halt. Carmelita moved towards the opening, her mind not even realizing what was happening.

Carmelita used the weapons in unison, passing through each gate all in only a few seconds of true moving time. When she finally finished, Carmelita was on the far side of the hall before Carlos had even pulled his shock pistol free of its holster. Carmelita looked back, smiling through her rapid breathing.

The medallion of time had given her some control over time. It was the simple rewinding and slowing of time. Now, with all four weapons, she had a complete mastery of it. She could rewind time, pause it, and all the while not affecting herself. It was amazing, and Carmelita began to see that, with the sands contained in the hourglass of time, she could really take time back to the night she busted Sly and his gang. She could undo it all, but she needed Keith's help.

As if responding to her call, the sword of time flew out of Carmelita's hands. It hovered in the air, spinning around like a helicopter before it began to fly towards the museum's entrance. Carmelita chased after the sword, ignoring the shouts of her father as he entered the twenty digit code to shut of the laser barriers.

The sword of time burst through the glass doors of the museum, Carmelita following a few steps behind. Outside, the Cooper Gang Van hummed patiently in the street. Bentley stuck his head out of the passenger side window, waving Carmelita on as he shouted, "Hurry up, the police are on there way. We got to get back to the hideout."

Carmelita glanced over at Bentley, and then let her vision drift back to the sword of time. The sword continued on, heading into the city. Carmelita growled, running over to the van as she yelled, "Murray, follow that sword."

Murray looked out the driver side window, his eyes catching a glimpse of the sword of time. In an instant he had popped the van into gear, swinging it around as Panda King and Penelope opened the van's back door. Carmelita leapt in just as Murray put the peddle to the metal. With the screeching of tires the van raced into the streets, chasing after the sword of time.

Carmelita crawled up to the front, looking over the front seat as she said, "I think the swords leading us to Keith."

Bentley nodded his head, "Good, because we do need his help. Now that we have the four weapons of time I need his help pinpointing the island where the Kronosians built there greatest city, Tempest. That is where we will find the temple containing the four alters and the hourglass of time. That is where we can use the staff to turn back time, and make sure Sly lives to a ripe old age."

The others nodded as the van continued to roar through the streets of Cairo. It was nearly an hour later when the sword of time went off the street and towards a small, local, police station. Carmelita and the others stared at the building as Murray came to a stop in front. Murray put the van into park, then turned back to look at everyone as he said, "All right, now what?"

Bentley shook his head, "I don't know. Keith is obviously inside, but how could we even hope to get him out."

Everyone was silent for a few moments with different idea's flowing into and out of their minds. Penelope then snapper her fingers, a smile crossing her face, "I got it. Panda King, Carmelita, you two come with me. Bentley, Murray, Guru, and Dimitri, we'll be right back."

Penelope threw open the van's back door, and began to walk up to the police station. Panda King and Carmelita jumped out, both a bit confused just what Penelope was planning. They reached the front door, slowly stepping into the small police station's entrance lobby. A very old looking sand viper sat at the desk, his hand shaking as he looked over a few pieces of paper.

Penelope walked up to the desk, gently tapping it as she said, "Excuse me."

The viper jumped a little, adjusting his glasses as he said, "Yes, what can I do for you miss."

"We're with the Public Attorney's office, here to see a Mr. Keith Fox."

The viper nodded his head, "Yes, please give me a moment to get the keys to the cell."

The old viper slithered out of the room, coughing a bit as he entered an office in back. Panda King shook his head, bending down as he asked in a whisper, "How did you know that was going to work?"

Penelope shrugged, "I didn't."

Carmelita and Panda King glanced at each other, "What?"

Penelope looked back at them, "Generally, in foreign countries a person won't be able to pay for an attorney, and in Egypt the government provides one if a person can't afford one. Since this is such a small police station, I doubt they get many high profile criminals in there holding cells. Interpol probably stashed Keith here because they knew we wouldn't think of looking in such a run down place. They also probably didn't tell that viper just what Keith did."

Panda King nodded his head, "I see, to that viper Keith is just another criminal, and nothing significant. Meaning he isn't going to double check anything."

Penelope smiled, "Precisely."

"Okay", Carmelita asked, "then what would you have done if it was a younger guy, or someone who would realize we're not lawyers."

"That's why I had you two come along. You and I could have busted Keith out while Panda kept the few officers stationed here this late at night occupied."

Panda King and Carmelita glanced each other before sighing, shaking there heads. A few minutes later the viper came back, carrying a key ring as he moved towards the cell block. Carmelita and Penelope followed as Panda King waited in the foyer, a little insulted that Penelope had brought him along as a distraction.

The old sand viper slithered to the stations one holding cell, placing the key in the cell door as he said, "Mr. Fox, the court has sent you some lawyers, to advise you on your case."

Keith looked up from his seat on the cell's small bed. His eyes then drifted over to Carmelita and Penelope who waved a bit. Keith smiled back, standing up as he said, "Well, I must remember to thank the court."

The viper nodded, opening the cell door. At that moment Carmelita took the old viper's glasses, gently dropping them on the floor before kicking them into the corner. The viper cursed, getting down on his stomach as his hands searched for his glasses, "Darn it, those cursed things fell off again."

Carmelita motioned toward Keith, who slowly and silently walked to the cell's door. Keith took a gentle step out, walking over the old viper as he moved closer and closer to his glasses.

The old viper smiled, his hand grabbing up his glasses. He cleaned the dusty optical on his shirt, placing them on the edge of his nose as he said, "Now, where were we?" The viper then turned back, surprised to see the two attorneys and the prisoner were gone. He slithered forward, looking around with a worried look on his face, "Oh dear, there went another one. I really got to shut that cell door when ever I loose my glasses. Oh well, nothing I can do about it but call headquarters and get back to my crossword puzzle."


	9. Island of Time

Chapter 9

Island of Time

A pair of plane engines roared, pulling an old four propeller plane up off an airstrip in Japan. Murray and Penelope sat at the plains controls, flipping switches and checking flight plans while Bentley plotted a course across the ocean. In the back of the plane Carmelita and Keith were strapped into there seats. Keith was busy, flipping through ten different notebooks as he chewed on the end of a pen and typed on Bentley's laptop.

After their escape from Cairo, Bentley had gotten the entire gang to china, where they hid out in Panda King's house for a few days. Then, it was a quick hop over to Japan where Bentley rented an old WWII paratrooper plane. Guru, Panda King, and Dimitri stayed behind, waiting to hijack there old pirate ship before heading out to the island.

Bentley had insisted in flying out earlier because of how quickly Interpol was coming in. He feared that, if they waited for everyone to get on the old pirate ship, they would be arrested before they reached the island. At the very least, Keith and Carmelita had to get to the island. That was the whole reason they had stolen the dagger and staff, and fled to Japan.

Carmelita sat anxiously in her seat, her hands gently folding and unfolding as she tried to relieve some of her pent up energy. Keith was also just as anxious, but he had his research to keep his mind and hands busy. Keith still needed to answer many questions about the Kronosians, and they would reach the island in an hour. Carmelita was about to shout, just to do something when she heard the cockpit door open, and Bentley came rolling back.

Bentley rolled over to Keith, saying something to him. Carmelita tried to hear, but the roar of the propeller engines drowned everything out. Eventually, Bentley finished talking to Keith and rolled over to Carmelita. He forced a smile, tapping his watch as he said, "We'll be in position in thirty minutes. Get your parachute ready and anything else you need."

Carmelita nodded, but was surprised when Bentley reached into the pack on his wheelchair and pulled out a set of headphones and a MP3 player, "Carmelita, this is a recording of one night when Murray, Sly, and I went out to a Karaoke club. I don't know if it means anything to you, but I think Sly would like to have you listen to this."

Carmelita stared at the small music device with a confused look, but nodded her head as she took it from Bentley. Carmelita watched the Cooper Gang's brains return to the cockpit before gently sleeping the headphones over her ears and pressing play on the MP3 player.

Carmelita heard silence for a few moments, then laughter and applause. The applause died, and the sound of someone messing with a microphone before a deep male voice said, "That was The Murray with, "We Will Rock You". Now, the calming sea night club is proud to present our next singer for open mike night. Now, please welcome Sly Cooper with "Drink, Swear, Steal, and Lie."

More applause filled the room as the microphone changed hands. Silence soon returned, and Sly took a deep breath before saying, "I would like to dedicate this song to someone special to me, someone who would probably have me arrested if she ever found out about this."

The crowd laughed, but quieted down as the Karaoke machine began to roll into the music. Sly waited, listening to the beat before taking a final deep breath.

_I was eight when daddy said to me  
Don't take to drinking boy  
That road don't lead no where  
And don't ever let me hear you swear  
Don't you dare?_

_He told me stealing was our family way  
Still, be careful of the law, it won't see it that way  
And don't lie,  
Then you can look the whole world in eye  
Honey I tried  
_

_But since I met you  
Girl I'm breaking every rule  
I must confess that I'm just a backsliding fool_

_I want to Drink from your loving cup  
Swear to never give you up  
Steal all your kisses underneath the moon  
I want to lie there close to you  
Look at what you make me do  
_

_Darling you're the reason why  
I Drink, Swear, Steal and Lie_

_Last I threw away my twelve step book  
I finally face the fact that I am hooked on you  
There is nothing more I can do  
Ain't no use  
Because every time I see your angle face  
My halo disappears without a trace  
_

_I swear, girl I admit I haven't got a prayer  
But I don't care  
I know this ain't exactly how I was raised  
But Heaven help me honey  
I'm not changing my ways_

_I want to Drink from your loving cup  
Swear to never give you up  
Steal all your kisses underneath the moon  
I want to lie there close to you  
Look at what you make me do_

_Darling you're the reason why  
I Drink, Swear, Steal, and Lie_

_I want to Drink from your loving cup  
Swear to never give you up  
Steal all your kisses underneath the moon  
I want to lie there close to you  
Look at what you make me do_

_Darling you're the reason why  
I Drink, Swear, Steal, and Lie_

_Drink, Swear, Steal, and Lie_

A huge round of applause filled the recording for a few seconds before it ended, and the MP3 player fell silent. Carmelita lowered her head, brushing tears from her eyes. Did Sly really mean that? That he stole because he liked seeing her. Sure, it was a family tradition, but Carmelita had learned from the others that Sly only enjoyed the heist when she showed up, shock pistol blazing.

Carmelita held the MP3 player tightly in her hand, pressing a button that made the recording play again. Carmelita listened to Sly's song two more times before the plane reached the island. The home of Kronosians, Tempest City on the Island of Time, everything looked like ancient runes, but it was in that crumbling stone that the hourglass of time lay hidden, the alters were waiting.

Keith packed up his notebooks, leaving Bentley's laptop on the seat as he got ready to parachute out of the plane. Carmelita, who had been wearing her parachute for a while, grabbed hold of the planes door. She released the latch, the door opening on its own as it slid out and back. A powerful wind filled the plane, fluttering around loose papers as Keith and Carmelita looked out.

Thousands of feet below, hidden in a mass of mist, the island of time sat in silence. Even the turning of the ocean seemed to stop around the island. No wind, no birds, nothing moved in the mist. Keith and Carmelita glanced at each other one last time, both forcing down a growing anxiety as the plane banked to one side. Keith jumped first, spreading his arms out as air rushed by him. Carmelita soon followed, releasing her parachute as the plane turned back towards Japan.

Carmelita and Keith landed on the sandy shore of the island a few minutes later, quickly stripping of their parachutes and moving up towards the island. It was like a lost world, the building runes mixing with the tropical plants and moss. It was like the buildings had once grown out of the forest that covered the island.

Keith was in awe, quickly reaching into his pack and pulling out a blank notebook and pen. Keith's hand quickly began to fly over the page as he and Carmelita walked towards the center of the island. Carmelita could only smile, shaking her head as Keith acted like a kid in a toy store. He was running about, making sketches of different buildings and designs on the walls.

At one moment, when Keith was scribbling down notes about a column design, Carmelita walked up behind him and asked, "Keith, can you answer something for me?'

Keith nodded his head as his eyes flew back and forth between his notebook and the column, "What is it Carmelita?"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but we're here to turn back time."

"Yeah…"

Carmelita shook her head, "Then won't all the notes you're taking be worthless, being unwritten as we rewind time."

Keith stopped, and then smacked his palm against his head, "I am such a ding bat."

Carmelita chuckled, "Yeah, but what do expect. You have dreamed of visiting this place since you started your work on the Kronosian Culture. Now, come on. We need to find the hourglass."

Keith nodded, tossing his notebook to one side as he and Carmelita moved further into the island's interior. As the pair continued further towards the center of the island, the jungle was replaced by ancient walls, columns, and stone sculptures. Even though centuries had passed, the hallways had remained unblocked. Carmelita and Keith were able to pass farther and farther into the island without difficulty.

Then, Carmelita and Keith reached the Temple of Kronos. The Kronosians believe in the ancient Grecian titan of time, and said that he taught the first Kronosians how to forge the sands of time. Keith stared up at the temple, its architecture resembling Persian palaces with Greek wall paintings and the Egyptian style of using a few very large blocks instead of several smaller bricks.

There was one thing that didn't seem right about the temple. All the buildings around it were warn, there roofs having collapsed under the weight of time and the weather. The temple, however, looked like a single day hadn't passed since its construction. The cuts on the bricks were still fresh, the markings on the walls untouched. Even the iron on the temple's main door, an image of an hourglass inside a circle, showed no sign of rust or decay.

Keith and Carmelita walked closer to the temple's door. Keith moved a few steps ahead, setting his hand on the iron insignia of the temple, "I had thought to find the hourglass and altars of time intact. I never imagined that the temple itself would survive. There must be thousands of pipes that flow through these walls, passing the sands of time and using it to create a temporal vortex. Not a single minute has passed since the temple's construction was completed. The Sands of Time have protected it, and at the same time the temple has contained the havoc of the sands."

Carmelita raised an eyebrow, "Havoc, you have never mentioned havoc."

"It is an old Kronosian legend about the sand, that they have a mind of their own. That if left unchecked, they would consume the world and turn every living creature into a sand minion, a thing that is nothing more then a living, breathing, sand bag. Still, all my research leads me to believe that it is nothing more then a legend. Now, let's get this door open."

Carmelita nodded, moving up beside Keith as they pushed on the door. The temple doors lurched, and the slowly opened as the hinges groaned under the weight of the doors. Light broke through into the darkened temple, a great hall coming out of darkness for the first time in a millennia.

Keith and Carmelita took a few steps forward, there eyes adjusting to the light as they entered the hall. A straight path connected the hall's entrance to a far door, through which the Hourglass of Time glimmered in the sunlight. Carmelita smiled, the sight of the hourglass like a lighthouse in a terrible storm.

Then, something moved in the shadows. The temple's main gate swung shut suddenly, slamming loudly and plunging the hall into darkness. Carmelita and Keith quickly moved together. Carmelita reached for her shock pistol out of instinct, but instead felt her fingers wrap around the dagger of time. Keith clenched his teeth, quickly taking his backpack off. He reached inside, and found a small black cube. It was something Bentley had developed, a storage cube that shrunk its contents to 1/100 of its size. Keith pressed a button on the cube, and instantly the sword and staff of time appeared.

Keith took hold of the staff, and held the sword out to Carmelita as he said, "Here, you need something with a bit more reach then that dagger."

Carmelita nodded, taking hold of the sword. The gentle glow coming from the sword and dagger of time was enough to light a part of the hall. Keith and Carmelita listened carefully, there ears picking up movement all around. Then, something came into view. A gray, decayed, hand followed by an entire body. It was a zombie like creature, dressed in armor and carrying a spear.

Carmelita quickly snapped, "I thought you said these guys were nothing more then legend."

Keith grumbled, "Can't a guy make a mistake."

"About stuff like this, not if he wants to stay alive. How are we supposed to fight them, there made of sand?"

"Calm down," Keith said as his grip tightened on the staff of time, "we have the perfect weapons. The staff, sword, dagger, and medallion of time are designed to take control of the sands. We strike them with the weapons enough they will just break apart. Still, who knows how many are in here. We need to try and reach the hourglass. Then, we can shut the room off using the ancient water works."

Carmelita nodded, bending down into a battle stance. For a moment, nobody did anything. Then, a sand servant lunged forward. Carmelita dodged, and drove the sword of time forward. The sword dove into the zombie's stomach, and lingered there for a second before sucking the zombie in. A sand chamber in the sword filled up, and the glow from the sword brightened.

Keith was also fighting, using the four spikes at one end of the staff of time to spear the sand zombie's. The staff of time, however, had no sand chambers. All sand that was brought under its influence circled it like a storm. Keith found he could use the sand like a cannon. He was soon blasting through the zombies as Carmelita continued to slice through the creature of sand like tissue paper.

The pair made there way down the hall, fighting with all their strength as the hourglass of time drew closer and closer. Carmelita forced a smile, they were almost there. Then, the doors to the next chamber began to close. The sand zombie's were trying to stop them. Carmelita growled, her anger starting to flare up. She had not come this far to be stopped by some stupid bag of sand and skin.

At that moment Keith felt something strange, a surge in the sands of time he had never felt before. He turned in time to see the sand chambers in the sword, dagger, and medallion of time empty. The sands encircled Carmelita, fusing their energy into her body. Carmelita then yelled, the sand zombies taking a step back in fear. Carmelita then disappeared. Keith looked around, trying to figure out where his sister had gone when he heard the sound of a sword.

Keith turned in time to see a sand zombie break apart. Soon, another burst apart, and more continued to follow. It was like a domino affect, every time one burst apart another was just a few second behind. Soon, the entire hall had fallen deathly silent. Keith continued to strain his ears until he heard the clank of metal on the ground. Light returned to the room, and Keith turned to see Carmelita slumped over, her breathing coming in short, quick gasps.

Keith ran over to Carmelita, and asked, "What did you just do?"

Carmelita shook her head, "cough…I don't…cough…know. I just felt myself suddenly move fast, faster then I could ever imagine. I would slice one sand zombie, and the next thing I knew I was in front of another. It was like I leapt across the room, each leap putting me at just the right place to slice a zombie and reduce them to sand."

Keith nodded his head, "It must be a power revealed when someone is wielding the three true weapons of time. Still, we can worry about that later. Let's get into the hourglass chamber before more sand creature's show up." Keith moved over to Carmelita, lifting her up a little bit before slinging her arm over his shoulder. Keith then helped Carmelita move into the next room, in the center of which stood the hourglass of time.

Carmelita sat on the ground, regaining her strength in front of the hourglass. The room was circular in design with no roof, the bright sunlight shining down inside. Four doors lined the sides of the room. There was the one that lead to the entrance hall, and the other three connected to the three altars of time.

Carmelita waited patiently for Keith to return. He had taken all four of the weapons of time. The dagger, sword, and medallion were needed to activate the altars of time, and then the staff would work with the hourglass to do rewind time.

Carmelita heard the sound of sand and thought the zombies had returned. She then relaxed when a gentle stream of sand began to fall from somewhere high above her. The sand trickled down, like a miniature waterfall, and went into the hourglass of time. Carmelita slowly stood up, walking over to the hourglass.

She pressed her hand against the glass, looking as the sands of time filled more and more of the hourglass. Just a little longer, and then it would be like none of it had ever happened. Sly would be alive, and she would have another chance to tell Sly what was in her heart.

Carmelita hen looked back at Keith's bag. She walked over, reaching down before she pulled out the pen and a pad of paper. Carmelita took a seat on the ground again, supporting the notebook on her knee as she began to write. Carmelita took time, placing everything down exactly how she wanted it.

Carmelita finished the final part of her letter, pulling the note free and folding it just as Keith returned. The three altars of time were active. Carmelita stood up, holding the paper behind her back as Keith said, "Are you ready Carmelita?"

Carmelita nodded, moving forward as Keith handed her the dagger and medallion of time, "What is there to be ready for? We're going back in time." Carmelita then stepped forward, her eyes reflecting the swirling sands of time. Keith bent down at his bag, organizing its contents before he put it on.

Keith walked up beside Carmelita, the staff of time in his right hand and sword in his left. Carmelita had placed the dagger of time in her shock pistol holster and the medallion back around her neck. Keith and Carmelita glanced at each other one final time. Keith then held the staff of time out, letting Carmelita set her left hand around the metal.

Around the room, the doors to the hourglass hall slammed shut, sealed by some strange force. The sands inside the hourglass began to swirl more violently, and the sky above began to fill with dark storm clouds. Keith and Carmelita could both feel something happening, a strange energy flowing form the staff through their entire body.

Suddenly, a strange voice began to echo through the room. It was dark, deep, and shook Keith and Carmelita to the core. Carmelita had no idea what or who the voice belong to. Keith, however, knew who it was. IT was mentioned in the Kronosian writing. When ever the staff and hourglass were used in conjunction, it called forth the power of the titans. They were hearing the voice of Kronos, the master of time.

_I gave the gift of time to mortals, and they treated it with respect _

_They used it to right wrongs, and to save lives._

_Then, like always someone gained the power that would corrupt it_

_He used it to lead a war, and tried to take over the world with my sand_

_They brought forth my wrath, and in that moment I created the Dahaka_

_You may use the sands as you see fit, to right a wrong, to fix a mistake_

_Though, you must beware, the guardian is always watching_

_I am always watching_

At that moment the hourglass of time seemed to burst apart, a tornado of sand consuming the room. Carmelita felt her body grow numb, and suddenly she was back in the strange chamber with five doors, the one she had seen back in Cairo, while Carlos had his knee in her back.

Carmelita looked around the room, and noticed that the door with the medallion of time had disappeared. At that same moment, the doors with the staff, dagger, and sword of time opened at once. Carmelita was trusted through one, and she was back in the open mountain scene.

Carmelita looked around for a bit, and saw the mansion again. This time she was much

Closer, and could see who was sitting on the porch. Carmelita rubbed her eyes, making sure here mind wasn't playing tricks. She saw herself sitting on the porch swing, a gentle smile on her face as she looked out over the mountain range. Carmelita then heard the mansion's door open. Her second self turned, looking at the person at the door's entrance with a wide smile spreading on her face.

Carmelita was almost able to see who the other person was, but caught only a glimpse of his tail before her eyes were surrounded in sand again. Like before, red images began to pass in front of her eyes. Carmelita saw a Paris alley, the Eiffel Tower standing in the background. Her vision then shifted again, a huge black figure with long black tentacles lashing out. Finally, she saw an image of Sly bent over someone's limp body, and a black figure with a blood stained blade standing nearby.

Carmelita blinked her eyes, and suddenly she was back in Paris, sitting in her office. Carmelita blinked a few times, looking down at her desk at the paperwork that was lying there. Then, a knock came at the door. Carmelita stood up, walking over to the door. She slowly opened it, and saw a zebra in a brown UPS uniform holding a package. Carmelita signed for the package, and then slipped back into her office. Carmelita stared at the box, her hand trembling as she opened it up.

Inside the box was a bouquet of blue roses and one of Sly's calling cards. Carmelita picked the card up, flipping it open to read, "

_To Carmelita_

_This time I stole a diamond, but like always you have taken my breath away. _

_Better luck next time._

_From: Sly Cooper_

Carmelita felt tears pulling at her eyes. She picked the roses up, smelling the fragrant blooms before walking them over to a nearby shelf and putting them in an empty vase. At that point Carmelita couldn't stand it anymore. She slumped down onto the floor, tears of joy slipping down her face. They had done it, time had been reversed. Sly was alive. Everything was back to the way it was.

Carmelita then felt something hanging off her neck. She looked down, and saw the medallion of time was still around her neck. Out of curiosity, Carmelita felt down at her holster. Sitting right beside her shock pistol, the silver metal feeling cool to the touch, was the dagger of time.

Carmelita stood back up, reaching into her pocket. She smiled when her thumb and forefinger wrapped around a piece of paper. She pulled it out, rereading every word she had written. Carmelita looked back at the box, smiling as she slipped the medallion off her neck. Carmelita searched her office for a small shoe box. She emptied it of a pair of tennis shoes, and placed the medallion inside. She then set the piece of paper inside, placing the lid on the box. She then moved over to her desk, picking up the phone as her fingers danced over the buttons.

Carmelita waited a few moments, letting the phone ring before someone answered. Carmelita waited for the common greeting, and then said, "Yes, hello, I would like to arrange a package pick up." Across the ocean, Keith was relaxing back at his ranch house. He had given John, his horse jockey, a week off to go into the city. Keith was thinking, trying to figure out a way to bring all his new information about the Kronosians to the public eye.

Keith then felt the room grow cold, and a shadow appeared in the corner. For a moment, Keith thought he was dreaming. Then, in a burst of speed, a long black dagger raced through the air and cut him across the arm. Keith then heard a strange voice fill the room, but it was talking backwards.

Then, a few words rang through Keith's ears, and sent a chill straight to his heart.

_Time has been reversed, and I have been released. The time stream must be preserved,  
You have played a dangerous game, and have forgotten  
The Guardian of the Timeline is always watching._

**Author Note: Though it may seem so, this story isn't over. The trouble has only begun for Carmelita, Sly, Keith, and the others. More will be seen in part 2 of Sands of Time.**


	10. The Guardian

Chapter 10

The Guardian

Sly stepped into the gang's hideout, gently twirling his cane as he called out, "Man, that heist went great. I'm a little disappointed Carmelita didn't show up though."

Bentley groaned, rolling into the house with the others following behind him, "Sly, you are terrible. The one time everything went according to plan, and you wanted Carmelita to show up and throw a wrench into the operation."

Sly shrugged, "Hey, this job would get boring if everything always went according to plan. Carmelita keeps it interesting."

Bentley rolled his eyes, rolling over to the stairs. He pressed a button on his wheelchair, making his flight rockets turn on before he went up stairs. Penelope and Dimitri soon followed, both to sleepy to do much else. Sly, Murray, and Panda King stayed in the house's living room, relaxing as Guru meditated out on the porch. It was nearly three in the morning when everybody else went to bed, but Sly stayed up. He had slept a lot the day before to prepare for the heist, and just wasn't tired.

Sly was flipping through TV channels, skimming for anything worth watching. After running through the whole list of channels twice Sly's eyes began to wander away from the television. He then noticed something sitting up on a shelf, a package. Sly stood up, moving over to the shelves before picking the package up. He read the label, and saw it was addressed to him.

Sly shook his head, a smile playing at his lips, "Good old Bentley, so worried about my safety he won't even give me my mail." Sly then gently ran his finger nail across the packages tap, starting to lift the flaps when a knock came at the door. Sly paused, looking over at the door.

Sly moved over, setting the box down on a coffee table before opening the door. Sly jumped when the person at the door crashed to the floor. He was injured, a large gash in his side and several cuts all across his body. He was a fox dressed in very warn blue jeans, a button down shirt, and cowboy hat.

Sly gasped, reaching down to help the stranger up, "What happened to you?"

The stranger coughed, blood spattering across the floor, "D…Don't worry……about me. I'll…be…fine."

Sly helped the stranger over to the couch, setting him down as he rushed up stairs. A few moments later, Sly came back down with Penelope and Bentley a few steps behind. Bentley held a medical pack in his lap, already searching its contents for bandages.

The stranger cringed in pain as Bentley and Penelope worked to bandage his wound. Sly got the stranger's wallet, opening it up to look at his ID card, "Keith Fox of Denver, Colorado."

Bentley and Penelope paused, looking up as Penelope asked, "Are you sure his last name is fox?"

Sly nodded, "Yeah, that's what it says. I don't see how he could be related to Carmelita though."

Keith cringed, turning his head to look at Sly, "No Sly, I am related to Carmelita, and that is why I am here. Carmelita is in danger, even if she doesn't know it yet"

"Danger, what kind of danger", Sly asked as he bolted up.

"The Guardian of the timeline, the Dahaka, he's here in Paris."

Bentley pulled a bandage tight, cutting it to length before applying it to Keith wound, "That is just a legend, that and the entire concept of the sands of time."

Keith groaned, standing up and moving over to the door. Bentley, Penelope, and Sly watched as Keith grabbed something on the porch, and walk back into the house. It was a long black sword with glass chambers. Keith held the sword up, the glass glowing. Suddenly, in a flash of light, Keith disappeared. Bentley and Penelope gawked, trying to figure out where Keith had gone when they realized Sly had also disappeared.

Sly blinked, and suddenly he was standing outside, a few yards in front of the house. Keith was knelt down on the ground, holding his injured side as he said, "Now do you believe in the power of the sands."

Sly nodded, "I believe, now tell me what's going on."

Keith cringed, gently picking up the opened package sitting beside him, "Just read the letter in here. It will explain everything."

Sly raised an eyebrow, taking the package from Keith and reaching inside. He pulled out the letter, gently holding it one hand as he began to read.

_There is so much to say Sly; I don't really know where to start. I guess I should start when you were arrested. Yes Sly, I was finally able to catch you. It was after you sent me a bouquet of flowers, and I found a return address on the package. I traced it, and with the help of Interpol's finest and the local SWAT team I captured you. I thought everything would get better after that, but then something happened. When you were being to take to Interpol after your case, Muggshot attacked. He shot you, and you died within a few hours._

_Now, that is when things started to get weird. Somehow, Keith, my brother, and I were given the sword and medallion of time. Keith then said there was a way to rewind time, back before I ever arrested you. That way, I could save your life. We helped your gang break out of house arrest, and then they helped me steal the last two weapons of time. With all four weapons we went to the island of time. I am sitting here waiting for Keith to finish making preparations. Soon, time will be rewound, but Keith says that there was a way to get this letter to you. I placed it in my gun hostler, right beside the dagger of time. Since it is in contact with the weapon of time, it should survive the trip back._

_Well, that's everything that happened. Now, all that's left is to finally undo everything. I have worked with your gang, I have run from Interpol, I was even the one to steal the staff and dagger of time. I have spent some time in your shoes Sly, and it's helped me realize a lot about myself. Now, if this letter does survive, I will have mailed it to you with the medallion of time._

_Finally, Sly, I'd never be able to say this to your face, but that's why I am saying it here. When I lost you, it rocked my world more then I ever imagine it could. I just want you to know that, well. Sly, you mean the world to me, even if I never show it. Once time is rewound, things will be back to normal between us. I'll be the cop, and you'll be the thief. Still, though no one but Keith and I will ever remembered what happened, it is something I never want to have to experience again. Sly, I just want you to know one thing. I can't imagine living in a world without you in it, Ringtail._

_Carmelita_

Sly stared at the letter in disbelief. It was impossible, he had died and Carmelita had actually turned back the hands of time, and made it so none of it had happened. She had saved his life, and had even broken the law to do it.

As Sly looked up from the letter, his eyes falling on the medallion of time lying in the bottom of the package. Keith coughed, slowly returning to his feet as he used the sword of time as a cane, "Though Carmelita and I were successful in rewinding time, something else was released. The Dahaka, the guardian of the timeline, is now hunting me and Carmelita. We broke the rules of time, and changed our fate and yours. For now, you are safe from the Dahaka, but that won't last for long. Starting at dawn you will have twelve days before the day Muggshot was supposed to shoot you. At that moment, you will also become its prey."

"Carmelita, what have you gotten yourself into?" Sly asked as he held the medallion of time in front of his eyes. Sly then sighed, gently slipping the medallion over his head and dropping it down the inside of his shirt. Sly then looked over at Keith, determination flashing in his eyes, "What can we do?"

"According to the legend of the Prince of Persia, he was able to fight and defeat the Dahaka. The Prince of Persia used a water blade forged of mortal hands, but that proved incapable of truly killing the Dahaka. For us to win, we will need the Spear of Oceanus and Trident of Poseidon."

"Why would need those weapons?" Sly and Keith turned to see the rest of the Cooper gang walking out of the house. They had stayed on the porch, listening to what Keith had to say.

Keith cleared his throat, turning to face the others, "Kronos was a titan of ancient Greek mythology, the Kronosians worshiped him and learned their mastery of time from him. The Dahaka is a part of Kronos, and minion to his power. Now, ancient legend dictates that the Kronosian culture was on the verge of ruling the world when the titan of the sea, Oceanus, and the god of the ocean, Poseidon, combined their power. By doing this, they pushed the Kronosian capital far out to sea, and created the island of time."

Bentley nodded his head, "That is all well and good, but I don't see why we need to go and steal those worthless artifacts."

"Oceanus and Poseidon hated Kronos, as did many of the titans and gods of ancient Greece. They also hated the Dahaka, believing that humanity, should it wield the sands of time, that they be able to change their fate. They changed the water of the world, empowering it with the ability to destroy the Dahaka. It is like poison to the creature, and the Trident of Poseidon and the Spear of Oceanus are weapons that are directly connected to every body of water in the world. They are the things that can kill the Dahaka, or at least force him to give up his chase."

"Do you know where the trident and spear are?" Sly asked.'

Keith nodded, "There here, in Paris. I did some research, and found out that they were in possession of a crime lord until recently, when they were seized by Interpol for part of an investigation. They should still be in storage somewhere in Paris, but I have no where telling there exact location. There is, however, someone who can."

Sly turned, looking across the glowing lights of Paris, "Carmelita."

In another part of the city, Carmelita was lying peacefully in bed. She had taken an extended vacation from Interpol, her first one in years, and was thoroughly enjoying it. She had gone shopping, gotten a massage, and even managed to catch a movie. It had been paradise, and she rarely even passed a thought to the sand of time, Sly Cooper, or anything that had happened. It was all over, and life was going on.

Carmelita groaned, slowly opening her eyes. She shivered a bit, pulling up the covers as she looked at her alarm clock, 3:00 A.M. Carmelita slowly rolled out of bed, placing her feet into some black slippers before crossing her room. She squinted her eyes, trying to see the thermostat in the dark. It was set to 75 degrees, just how she left it.

Carmelita shivered again, moving back to her bed, "Must be the furnace acting up again. I can't imagine how cold Mrs. Hoot is. I'll have to go down to the basement have a look at the furnace in the morning."

Carmelita rubbed her shoulders, moving back to her bed. She just about to crawl into the covers of her bed when she heard something. It was a small thump, like someone was knocking on her door. Carmelita sighed, moving over to her bedroom door. She grabbed her bath robe, tying it around her night gowned. She liked the thin black gown, but she would never dream of answering the door in it. Far to revealing for her tastes.

Carmelita walked down her hallway, rubbing her shoulders as it seemed to get colder and colder. "I am talking to George tomorrow. The cheap-stake land lord needs to replace the dilapidated furnace, not just put more duck tape on it."

A knock came at the door again, and Carmelita shouted, "All right, I'm coming."

Carmelita then touched the door knob, gently turning it. The latch on the door clicked, and at the moment the door was forced open. Carmelita fell back, crashing to the ground. Carmelita's slowly sat up, and her eyes fell on the figure in her door way. It was a mass of shadows against the moon light. Most of the body was hidden, but it was easily larger then the door way. Great horns sprouted from its head, and two white points of light replaced real eyes.

Carmelita began to slide back, her heart starting to thump as the creature began to say something. It was strange, and Carmelita couldn't understand a word. She, however, quickly understood the meaning when a long black tentacle shout out of the creature's body and drove into the floor right beside her.

Carmelita scrambled to her feet, ducking into her living room. She reached under her coffee table, pulling out her spare shock pistol. She turned, smiling as she pulled off a few shots at the strange creature. The shots were direct hits, but they might as well have been complete misses. The creature was unaffected by the electrical shock, and just keep coming.

Carmelita grunted, getting back to her feet as she continued to fire off shock pistol blasts. Each one bounced off uselessly as the creature moved forward. A tentacle shot out from the creature. Carmelita yelped, holding her side as she felt blood seeping out. Carmelita knelt down to the floor, glaring up at the creature as it drew closer.

Suddenly, out of no where, a figure clad in black rushed into the room. His clothes seemed to be nothing more then a collection of rags tied together. The only two solid parts of his body was a bone gray mask on his face and the black sword on his back. From behind the mask, two bright blue points of light acted as eyes.

The creature turned roaring at the stranger. The stranger just stood there, stepping completely into the living room. Carmelita was surprised to see the figure holding a bucket. In a quick moment the figure disappeared, reappearing in front of Carmelita before he through the bucket at the dark monster. The monster screamed, the water burning it like acid. In an instant the creature seemed to disappear, turning into a shadow before rushing out of the apartment.

Carmelita looked up at the figure, finding something strangely familiar when the figure just vanished. Carmelita sat for a few seconds, wondering if she was just dreaming when she heard a pair of foot steps. She grunted, grabbing up her shock pistol again as she aimed it at the door way.

A figure appeared in the door way, and quickly jumped back out of view in response to the shock bullet flying at his head, "Wait, Carmelita, its me."

"Keith?" Carmelita said as she lowered her shock pistol. Keith came running in, dropping down to one knee beside Carmelita as he gave his sister a hug.

Behind Keith a second figure walked in, looking around as he asked, "Carmelita's neighbor, Mrs. Hoot, says she didn't see or hear anything. She just slept through it all."

Carmelita's eyes flew open as she looked over Keith's shoulder, "Sly?"

Sly smiled, waving his hand gently, "Hey Carmelita, I got your letter. Oh, and thank you for this lovely little medallion. I would have been happier with a locket, a nice picture of you inside. Still, I'll take what I can get."

Carmelita shook her head, pushing Keith away, "You are never very serious, are you ringtail."

Sly shook his head, and then noticed the small puddle of blood forming on the ground, "Carmelita, your hurt."

Keith bit his lip, "Uhhh…that proves it. The Dahaka was here. He always strikes there first, the best way to weaken his opponent. I have to go get some bandages. Then, we'll try to get back to your hideout. Stay here, and make sure the Dahaka doesn't come back."

Sly nodded, watching Keith leave the room before turning to look at Carmelita. She held her side, slowly trying to stand up. Sly moved over, setting a hand on her shoulder, "Carmelita, you shouldn't be trying to stand."

Carmelita chuckled, pushing away Sly as she stood up, walked over, and took a seat on her couch. Carmelita began to pull of her bath robe, leaving her only her black night gown. Carmelita balled up the robe, pushing it against her side to keep the blood of her couch. Carmelita's eyes drifted up, and she noticed that Sly was staring at her.

"Is there something wrong ringtail?"

Sly shook his head, "Uh…no…I just have never seen you like this."

"Take a picture, it will last longer."

Sly smiled evilly, reaching into his backpack before pulling out his binocucom. Sly held it up to his eyes, gently adjusting the zoom before pressing a button. A flash filled the room, and the binocucom hummed for a second before Sly put it away.

Carmelita raised an eyebrow, glaring at Sly, "What was that cooper?"

Sly smiled, "You said to take a picture, so I did."

"What?" Carmelita yelped, jumping up as she balled her free hand into a fist. She then tipped over, her blood lose making her a black out a bit. Sly caught Carmelita before she could fall, sitting her back down on the couch.

"Carmelita, you have to be careful. We can't have you making that injury of yours worse."

Carmelita sighed, nodding her head, "Yeah, your right. Still, don't get used to this truce ringtail. The second I'm back on my feet, your rear is mine."

Sly smiled, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

The two sat in silence for a few moments before Keith came back, a handful of medical supplies in his hands. Sly moved out of the room, stepping into the kitchen while Keith did his best to bandage Carmelita's wounds. Sly rubbed his head, pulling out his binocucom as he looked at the picture he had taken. If Carmelita was ready to kill him about something like that, it was probably in his best wishes to stay in the kitchen. After all, that injury was pretty high up on Carmelita's side.


	11. A Night on the Roof

Chapter 11

A Night on the Roof

Carmelita sat on a coach, her cell phone pressed up against her ear. She had been calling all over Interpol, trying to locate the Trident of Poseidon and the Spear of Oceanus. Finally, she struck pay dirt. The trident and spear were in cold storage in an Interpol warehouse on the far side of the city. The problem, the spear and trident were involved in a case under the direct command of Carlos, Carmelita and Keith's loving father.

As Bentley and Penelope tried working out a plan for the heist, Keith sat at the dinner table thinking. There was something bugging him, a gut feeling about the future. When they stole the dagger and staff of time, it led them straight into Carlos. Now, to get the weapons to stop the Dahaka, they had to do it again. That couldn't be just coincidence.

With the brains and RC specialist of the Cooper Gang working on the plan, that left the others waiting. Panda King and Guru spent their time meditating, preparing their spirits, minds, and bodies for the task ahead. Murray gave the team van a tune up, making sure it was purring like a kitten. Dimtri, well he spent his time hitting a few night clubs down in the city, playing his part as a lounge lizard.

Carmelita, however, spent her time up on the house's roof. The sight of the Dahaka had been terrible, and she survived because of her instincts as an officer of the law. Now, yet again, she had to work with a bunch of thieves to save a life. Carmelita groaned, her eyes still resting on the distant city of Paris. The sun was setting, two full days after she had been attacked at her house. They now had nine days to defeat the Dahaka, or it would start going after Sly as well.

"Hey, how are you doing Carmelita."

Carmelita turned her head, her eyes drifting back to the far side of the roof. There, gently balanced on thin point of Bentley's communication antenna, was Sly Cooper. The world famous master thief smiled, looking down at Carmelita as he said, "Penny for your thoughts Inspector Fox."

Carmelita sighed, "Oh, go away Cooper. I'm not in the mood for any of your flirty chit chat."

"Whose flirting, I am just wondering if you're all right." Sly said as he gently jumped off the top of the antenna, landing gently as a feather a few steps behind Carmelita.

Carmelita groaned, "Yeah, you say that, but I bet 10 franks you can't go ten minutes without saying something flirty."

Sly smiled, gently sitting down beside Carmelita as he twirled his cane in one hand, "Really, I'll take that bet.

"Ringtail, you are so tiresome. Don't you ever give up?"

"Hmmm…I do remember the one time I tried to beat Bentley at a game of chess, and I gave up within just a few moves. Other then that, I think I have been pretty hard headed about never giving up."

Carmelita smiled, a single laugh escaping her lips, "Finally, we agree about something, you are hard headed."

Sly flinched, placing his hand against his chest, "Oh, Carmelita, you pierce my heart with such words."

"Never go into theater Sly, you overact about as badly as you dance."

"What?" Sly quickly retorted, "I am a very fine dancer, how do you think I was able to distract you and the crowd at Rajan's party as Murray stole the clockwerk wings."

Carmelita's smile widened, her head turning as she looked at Sly, "Oh, how could I forget just how smooth you were, dancing on a cloud of air until that one moment you stepped on my foot."

Sly shook his head, a smile blossoming on his own face, "Wait, wait, wait. I did not step on your foot. I seem to recall that you stepped on mine. Seriously, Carmelita, I have never known you to mix your facts up."

"Whose says I'm not mixing the facts up on purpose? After all, you seem to enjoy leading me on whenever I chase after you. Can you blame me for wanting to try it for myself?" Sly paused for a second, but then began to laugh as he reared back. Carmelita's smile grew larger and larger. Finally, it was too much for the hardened Interpol Inspector and she began to laugh. The pair continued to laugh for a good few minutes, there voices stretching out across the Paris skyline below.

Finally, after Carmelita and Sly had quelled there laughter, Sly managed to say, "So, Inspector Fox, how are you feeling now."

Carmelita sighed, her eyes slowly looking across the sparkling lights of Paris, "Much better, thanks to you. You always seem to have a way of cheering me up, no matter how low I get."

"I aim to please."

"You also aim to annoy." Carmelita said, her lips latent with a playful anger, "Just take the compliment for once in your life, and don't try to follow up with a witty, two-bit line to keep the conversation going."

Sly nodded, falling silent as per Carmelita's request. The two sat for a while, the cold night air flitting around them at the push of the gentlest breeze. The two began to lean back, putting there arms down for support when their hands suddenly touched. Sly and Carmelita both pulled back, looking at each other with surprise and embarrassment.

Carmelita turned away, her eyes fixing on something other then Sly as he asked, "So, I wanted to ask you something else Carmelita, something about that letter you sent."

"What is it Cooper?"

Sly sighed, "Well, you said that you couldn't imagine living in a world without me. As you can probably understand, I am a little confused. From where I sit, wouldn't your life be so much easier without me around."

Carmelita snorted, turning back to Sly as she asked, "Depends what you would consider easier. With you around, I am taken all across the world. Not many people can say that about their jobs, but personally I would be happy as a mail room clerk if it meant I was kept out of the office."

"Hmm…" Sly said with a knowing look, "Why do I have a bad feeling about where this is going."

"Whatever is giving you that bad feeling Cooper, it is right. You're not the only one that has called me beautiful, but the only one to have some moral decency. Every day those stupid officers, the muscle bound members of Interpol's elite think they can impress me with muscle and smooth talk that has nothing underneath it. It's all just a bunch of talk, and personally my ears can't stand it anymore."

Sly nodded, "I saw that one time. I was in the Blue Moon night club down by your office, hoping to catch a glance of you walking by as you headed for home. My surprise when you came in and ordered yourself lemonade. I, of course, stayed in back. Even though I wanted to go say hello, I am not bold enough to do it without a disguise. Especially considering the fact you still had your shock pistol."

Sly paused, yawning as the cool night air began to take its toll on his muscles, "Well, in that short half hour you spent there I noticed at least ten other guys eyeing you from across the room, and one particularly bold wolf walk up and say something to you. I didn't know what he said, but I sure saw the result. I now know to steer clear of your right hook. One of that guys teeth landed in my cup of coffee."

"I remember that night. The chief had just finished yelling at me for over an hour. He probably would have kept going, but his voice finally gave out and he sent me home. Now that I think about that night, I probably would have welcomed the company of someone I actually know fairly well."

"Well, if I had known that I would have walked up. Still, you haven't really answered my question. Even with all that, wouldn't your life be easier without me around. You could get the bad guys easily, just taking a little longer to get the evidence, and you would have that prized 100 arrest rate."

Carmelita sighed, slowly standing up as she walked towards the center of the roof, "Sly, I am going to tell you something. I want you to wait until I'm done, because if you interrupt I may never be able to finish what I started saying."

Sly turned, raising an eyebrow as he leaned on his cane, "What is it Carmelita?"

Carmelita took a deep breath, turning as she looked at Sly, "The night you died I went home and cried for hours. I called Keith, made him come here from Colorado and help me. This was all before I knew I could save your life; make it so I never arrested you. I couldn't help but think of those few times we spent together. I just sat there in my bed, going through tissue boxes crying my eyes out. I didn't understand it. I couldn't figure out why I was so broken up. Then, after Keith had arrived and made sure I was alright, he turned on the radio. For a while, the radio was nothing but background noise to my ears. Then, a single song began to play. I don't know how or why, but that one penetrated through my tears and sorrow. I listened to that song, and I knew why I was so sad."

Carmelita took a step forward, the song replaying in her mind as she thought about that night, "You're a thief, and I am a cop. We could never be together, but still there is some part of me that wishes we could. That is what was eating away at me, making me feel so horrible after you died. I was never able to tell you that, if things had been different. To say, if you and I weren't on opposite sides of the law, I would probably fallen head over heels for you. Sly, I…I… Oh, why can't I just say it?"

Sly smiled, slowly standing up. He stood in front of Carmelita, a calm, gentle smile on his face as he just stood there. He raised a hand to Carmelita's face, the gentle gloved fingers resting on Carmelita's chin and raising it up. Sly then moved in slowly, and before Carmelita realized it, they were kissing.

Carmelita was screaming on the inside, her mind telling her body to push him away and off the bloody roof. The problem was, Carmelita's body wasn't listening. It actually leaned into Sly's, pressing her chest up against his as she began to return the kiss. His heart beat, his warmth, the gentle feeling of his lips against hers. It was intoxicating, and was the best thing Carmelita had ever felt. Even the kiss Sly had stolen on the volcano top after the battle with clockwerk was not this good. That one had been quick and like lightning. It had struck, and then was gone. This kiss was different. It lingered, it held, and it continued for what seemed like an eternity.

Finally, Sly pulled his lips away from Carmelita's, that same calm smile on his face. Carmelita smiled up at Sly, gently raising her hand up against his face. She then reached down at her belt, her hand resting on her shock pistol. Sly froze, a few tense moments passing before Carmelita reached past the shock pistol, and pulled the dagger of time out of her holster. She gently held the weapon up, the sand of time flashing inside as she asked, "Do you still have that medallion I sent you."

Sly nodded, Carmelita smiled widened, "Good, then we can both enjoy what I am about to do." With that, the world began to loose its color. Time revered itself, and soon Carmelita and Sly's lips were pressed up against each other again. Carmelita used the sands of time even more, slowing time to a crawl for everyone except her and Sly. This made the kiss longer, and they could feel every single sensation of the kiss with amazing detail.

When the sands of time ran out, and the world returned to normal, Sly pulled his lips away from Carmelita's, a much broader smile on his face, "Well, Inspector Fox, I must admit you are quiet the kisser."

Carmelita rolled her eyes, turning her back to Sly as she said, "Well, that nails it, you owe me ten franks."

"Wait…Why?"

Carmelita turned back, gently taping her wrist watch, "You didn't go ten minutes without saying some flirty comment."

Sly crossed his arms, "Now wait, it's been more then ten minutes."

"No, it may have seemed like it because I used the sands of time, but you said that compliment about my kissing at exactly nine minutes and fifty nine seconds."

"All right, all right, I owe you ten franks. Unfortunately, I left my wallet down stairs. Is there anything else you would like I can give you right now?"

Carmelita put a finger to her chin, her eyes wandering as she thought about the offer. Carmelita then smiled, turning back to Sly as she said, "Well, I might forget your dept, Ringtail, if you are willing to do one other thing for me."

"And what would that be?"

Carmelita blushed a bit, "Well, your friend Bentley, before Keith and I reversed time, let me listen to a night you guys spent at a night club, a night when you sang a song about me."

Sly smiled, nodding his head, "Yeah, I do seem to remember that. Would you like a live performance, Inspector Fox?"

"Yes but not a performance of that song. I want something else, something different."

Sly rubbed his chin, snapping his fingers as an idea popped into his head. With a quick smile Sly hooked his cane on the roof's guard rail and disappeared over the edge. Carmelita waited a few minutes, wondering what Sly was doing when he came back , a boom box hung over his shoulder, "If I'm going to perform such a lovely crowd, I should at least have the music. Now, I'd like to dedicate this next number to Carmelita Montoya Fox."

Carmelita smiled, leaning up against the framework for Bentley's communication antenna, "Would you just sing the song Cooper, and forget about the introductions."

Sly shrugged, pressing play on the boom box. The CD inside began to spin up, and Sly waited with a general smile on his face until the music started to echo across the roof, and into the cool Paris night.

_Last night I had a crazy dream_

_A wish was granted just for me_

_It could be for anything_

_I didn't ask for money_

_Or a mansion in Malibu_

_I simply asked for one more day with you._

_One more day_

_One more time_

_One more sunset baby, I'd be satisfied_

_But then again, I know what it would do_

_It leave me wishing still for one more day with you._

_First thing is pray for time to crawl_

_I unplug the telephone, keep the TV off_

_I hold you every second, say a million 'I love you's_

_That's what I do with one more day with you. _

_One more day_

_One more time_

_One more sunset baby, I'd be satisfied_

_But then again, I know what it would do_

_Leave me wishing still for one more day with you._

_One more day_

_One more time_

_One more sunset baby, I'd be satisfied_

_But then again, I know what it would do_

_Leave me wishing still for one more day……_

_Leave me wishing still for one more day……_

_Leave me wishing still for one more day…… with you._


	12. Gone

Chapter 12

Gone

The morning dawned, and everyone was up bright and early. While Sly and Carmelita had been out on the roof, Bentley and Penelope had finished their plans. They had a way to get the trident and spear, but, like always, it was anything but easy.

The trident and spear had recently been moved, at the request of Carlos, to a high security facility. Someone had tipped him off to the mystical energies contained in the weapons, and with a gang of mystics on the streets Carlos didn't want to take any chances. The trident and spear were now secured in the Interpol High Security Storage Facility It was a warehouse on the grounds of the International Headquarters of Interpol.

Bentley had the gang gathered in the living room, his famous slide show projector replaced with a strange metal device that sat on the table. Bentley lowered the lights, using a control on his wheelchair to make the device on the table fire to life. A light beam began to shine out from the device, and a digital hologram of the International Interpol Headquarters, or the IIH, appeared.

The IIH was a very modern facility, just constructed using technology taken from the clockwerk parts and Arpeggios original designs. It was a flying fortress, a facility that stayed in the air through the power of fifty antigravity engines. The constant wind in the upper atmosphere powered great windmills that turned generators and gave the fortress all the energy it could ever need.

Bentley clicked a button on his wheelchair again, the hologram zooming in on the bottom of the flying fortress, "All right, I won't sugar coat this people. This place is practically impregnable. There is only one place for people to get on and off the IIH, and it's a runway hidden underneath the fortress. If anyone lands there without Interpol's permission, they are quickly arrested and tried at the court kept on the facility."

Bentley clicked the button again, and the images turned to show the top of the fortress, "From the runway it's a long chain of stairs or a single elevator ride up to the main part of the facility. The top of the structure is covered in a doom, and the inside is like a sprawling college campus. Most of the structure is made up of grass, with apartments on one side and the Interpol Offices on the other. The apartments are for the workers who send up to six months working at the station at a time."

"Now, the trident and spear are located here", Bentley said as the hologram zoomed in on a very structure on the far side of the facility. The structure looked like a spoon, a doom structure at the end of a very long, thin outer foyer. "This is the highest security storage facility in the world. There is no way in except the front door, and along the hallway to the warehouse is every kind of security imaginable, times ten."

Sly looked over at Bentley, raising an eyebrow, "Bentley, are you ever going to get to the plan, or are we just going to sit here and listen to your documentary."

Bentley sighed, "Sly, there is only one chance, and I'm not even sure it will work."

"Please, Bentley, just tell us the plan." Sly said as he looked back at the hologram. Bentley shook his head, pressing the button on his wheelchair one last time. The hologram began to change, red lines dancing through it as they mapped out the only possible way in to, and out of the IIH with the trident and spear.

When Bentley finished laying out the plan, Keith leaned back in his chair as he said, "It's good plan Bentley, but do we have to rely so heavily on the sands of time."

Bentley nodded, "I have run every possible lead down, the only way in is to go straight through security, and even Sly won't be able to do that. You will need the sands of time, and only one person can go."

"Whoa," Murray said as he crossed his arms, "You never mentioned that."

"I know, but the dagger, medallion, and sword of time, collectively, have thirty sand chambers. From what Keith has told me about the sands of time, each sand chamber can produce some sort of effect on time. For my plan to work, someone would have to us twenty seven of those chambers. There just isn't enough for more then one person to go."

Keith stood up, gently brushing off his shirt as he asked, "When do I leave?"

Sly bolted up, shaking his head, "Oh no, who says you're the one that is going."

Keith looked over at Sly, glaring at the master thief, "Sly, can I speak with you outside." Keith then turned, walking off towards the front door. Sly followed, the rest of the gang staying behind as they walked outside into the morning light.

Keith turned, looking Sly down as the master thief asked, "Why do you want to be the one to go, you haven't even stolen anything, ever."

Keith sighed, "Sly, there are three reasons I need to go. First, I am the one with the most experience with the sands of time. Second, you are a wanted criminal with a long list of offenses. If you are caught, it would be far worse then if I was caught on the IIH. Third, I need you stay here and watch over Carmelita."

"What, why would I need to stay here and watch over Carmelita? Last time I checked, Carmelita isn't the kind of person that needs protection."

"Last time I checked", Keith snapped, "she was being hunted by the Dahaka, a creature pulled straight from the flesh of Kronos. Shock pistol blasts have no effect on a beast of shadow, whose body can't be harmed by anything but the purest of water. If I leave with all the weapons of time to steal the trident and spear, then that will leave her defenseless against the Dahaka. It will take the sneakiest, most cunning man in the world to keep Carmelita safe. That is why you are staying here, because I think you are the man that can keep my sister safe, and happy."

Sly stood silent, his mind blown as Keith turned and looked out over the city. For some time, neither said a word. Finally, Sly managed to ask, "What…what was that last part?"

Keith sighed, "Sly, I saw you and Carmelita out on the roof last night. I talked with Carmelita back when you were with Interpol, those six months you were Constable Cooper. I have never seen her happier with her life, a general smile on her face for no reason at all. She must have been raised on our father's strict view of the law, but I was not. I refuse to believe that fate would keep you two apart forever, not after I have seen how you are together."

Keith slowly moved forward, gently resting his hand on his shoulder, "Now, don't take me wrong. I don't want to tell you how to live your life, but can I trust you to keep my sister safe. Can you protect Carmelita when I, Carlos, and no one else can?"

Sly nodded, flashing his usually cocky smile as he said, "Of course, I am always careful with the most precious of jewels."

Keith smiled back, "Yeah, but I think Carmelita could do with a bit more polishing."

Sly shook his head, "Oh no, I would never ask or want Carmelita to do that. If someone has to chance to keep a love alive, then it isn't a love worth having. That was what my father told me, how my mother loved him even though he a notorious thief."

Keith nodded, opening his mouth to say more when the front door of the house opened. Penelope stepped outside, looking over at them as she said, "Have you two decided who's doing this, or am I going to have to just pick someone?"

Sly and Keith chuckled, moving forward as Sly said, "Keith's going, and so is everybody else."

"Pardon?"

Sly nodded his head, "You heard me right Penelope. I want everybody to pack some clothes, and head to the airport. The Dahaka is after Carmelita, and in a few days it will be coming after me as well. It will be too dangerous for anyone else around here. Bentley's going to go with Keith, and get him up to the IIH. Everyone else, however, is going to go to our old hideout in New York."

"No way dude." Dimitri said as he stepped up behind Carmelita, "This gang is like chewing gum and a penny, we got to stick together. Let me at this Drake and I'll show it my bling-bling."

Sly rolled his eyes, stepping forward until he was face to face with Dimitri, "That the Dhaka and this is a creature that will turn you and your bling to dust in an instant. Just do what I say, and I'll give you all a call when everything is in the clear."

Eventually, with enough persuasion, the rest of the gang agreed. Bentley and Keith left, taking a cab to a place where Bentley had chartered a helicopter to take them up to the IIH. The others packed their bags as well, hopping in the team van as Murray took them all to the airport. That left Carmelita and Sly alone, sitting in the living room as they kept in close contact with Bentley.

With the brains of the Cooper gang at the controls, it did not take long for the helicopter to reach the IIH. Over the radio, the control tower began to radio them, saying "Attention Pilot, please identify yourself."

Bentley picked up the radio, clearing his voice as he said, "This is UFG765, we came up here to get some footage of the coast. We are now running low on fuel and request a chance to land and refuel so we can return to the Paris airport."

"Very well, you are cleared to land UFG765. Please remain in the aircraft, our staff will refuel your plane and send a bill to you through the Paris International."

Bentley nodded, and replied as he brought the helicopter in for a landing. Keith sat at the door, holding tightly to the sword and dagger of time. Around his neck hung the medallion of time, and he had even brought the staff of time, just to be safe.

Bentley set the helicopter down, killing the engine as the airport staff rushed forward with a small fuel truck and hoses ready. One of them threw the door open, looking over at Bentley. He waved the airport staff on, smiling as the door was shut and he saw Keith reappear on the far side of the tarmac, his first two sands chambers having run their course.

Keith continued up the stairs, placing the radio earpiece in his ear before saying, "Testing, testing, can you read me Sly."

Sly and Carmelita slid to the edge of the couch, pushing the reply button as Sly said, "Loud and clear sand demon."

"Sand demon???"

"It's Bentley, or I should say the Wizard. He doesn't like us using our real names over the radio. He says it ruins everything."

Keith shrugged, continuing up the flight of stairs to the IIH campus, "All right love birds, this is sand demon out." Keith smiled, imaging just how badly Carmelita was blushing or cursing for what he had just did. Keith, however, quickly focused on the task at hand as he reached the top of the stairs and stepped out into the sprawling, well decorated IIH. It was bright out, the sun still far from the western horizon. Keith touched the front of his shirt, pushing the medallion time against his chest as he called on its power.

Keith used all ten of the medallion's sand chambers to sneak across the campus, using the cover of time to hide his movements and reach the security warehouse. Keith then waited, glancing at his clock as it neared the first time checkpoint. At the right time, an Interpol officer came out of the facility, turning as he went to enter the number lock for the door. Keith froze time, using two sand chambers from the dagger of time so he could slip in through the door.

Now came the hard part. As soon as the Interpol officer entered the combination the doors slammed shut and wall upon wall of laser security began to flip on. Keith held his breath, pulling out the dagger of time as he used all of its remaining chambers of sand. Time rewound until the laser walls were just coming on, and then slowed to an absolute crawl as Keith charged forward.

Even with the sands of time Keith had to dodge a few lasers that were able to completely power up in the short burst of time. The sands of time were just starting to run out when Keith reached the end of the hall, forcing him to leap forward and into the warehouse's main storage area.

Keith coughed, slowly getting up as he said, "All right Wizard, I am in the warehouse. Where are the trident and spear located?"

Bentley, who was still waiting as the helicopter was refueled, "They should be right in front of you, in a display case with several other important objects."

Keith nodded, stepping forward as he looked over the different artifacts. There was the hammer of Thor, the Ruby of Wrath, and several other very powerful artifacts. Keith continued to look over everything, reading every identification card. Soon, Keith's eyes fell on the two cards that read "The Spear of Oceanus" and "The Trident of Poseidon".

Keith gently pressed down on his radio earpiece, a bit of a shaky tone to his voice, "Uh…Bentley."

"Yes Keith."

"Are you sure that the spear and trident should be here."

"Yes, I hacked the security system before we arrived and got a video feed. I saw them there ten minutes before we landed."

"Really, can you take a look at the video right now?"

Bentley blinked a few times, but quickly pulled out his laptop and opened the proper program. It took a few moments for the video to come in, but soon the image flashed on. Bentley examined the image, eyeing Keith as his eyes drifted over to the display case where he had seen the spear and trident.

"What," Bentley gasped, "Where did they go?'

Keith groaned, "That's what I'd like to know."

Bentley shook his head, his fingers flying over the keyboard, "We will have to figure that out later, we are out of time. Get back to the helicopter, the tank is almost half filled. You will barely be able to get back before I have to take off." Keith nodded, turning as he headed back down the security hallway. Still, in the back of the room, a shadowy figure stood with the trident and spear strapped to his back. The figure watched Keith leave before his eyes flashed, an innate power of the sands coming to life. In a moment a cloud of sand swirled and the figure was gone, taking the spear and trident with him.


	13. Will to Survive

Chapter 13

The Will to Survive

Carmelita and Sly sat in the house, listening in shock to the radio that connected them to Bentley and Keith. The weapons were gone, that meant that they had lost their one chance to stop the Dahaka. Carmelita leaned back, shaking her head as she said, "It's hopeless; I should have never to tried and change the past."

Sly turned away from the radio, gently setting his hand on Carmelita's shoulder, "Now, Inspector, I have never known you to give up. So, the trident and spear are gone, that just means someone else has them. We just have to find out who and take those watery weapons from them."

"You say that Sly, but it could take weeks, or even months to find out what happened to the trident and spear. By then the Dahaka will have started chasing after you, and it's all my fault. If I just hadn't gone back in time, and I had just lived with your death, then maybe we would all be better off."

Sly shook his head, "No, Carmelita, we wouldn't all be better off. I would be dead if you hadn't done the impossible, and made it so Muggshot never had the chance to shoot me. The only reason I died that time is, I'm betting, I didn't know Muggshot was going to be there. This time, I know what the Dahaka is, and what it wants. This time, I promise you, we'll both get out of this alive." Carmelita forced a smile, leaning in as she and Sly shared a warm embrace.

The pair then both jumped when Keith's voice came over the radio, saying, "Aww…that is so sweet."

Carmelita blushed furiously, turning to the radio as she shouted, "Keith, have you been listening to our conversation."

"Yes, but only because you two decided to leave the radio on." Carmelita growled, raising her fist to punch the radio when a thump camp from outside, and a strange cold began to fill the air. Carmelita gasped, the chill running down her spine telling her exactly what was outside the house, the Dahaka.

Keith heard the strange silence, and quickly asked, "Carmelita, what's happening?"

"It's the Dahaka," Carmelita responded as she and Sly slowly stood up from the couch, "He's here."

"Sly, Carmelita, quickly, go into my room and look on the desk. There should be a bone grey mask sitting there wrapped in black fabric. Get the mask, and get to the Eiffel Tower. Bentley and I will meet you there." Before Keith could say any more, the house's front door was broken down, and the Dahaka slowly stepped into the room. Sly and Carmelita bolted, running up stairs as the Dahaka followed, his long black tentacles flailing about madly.

Carmelita burst into Keith's room, running over to his desk where the mask sat while Sly slammed the door shut, and rushed over to the window. From the top of the window a long cable flowed down, tied to a tree at the edge of the forest. Sly called Carmelita over, gently putting part of his body out the window as he said, "Come on, we have to get out of here. That door won't stop the Dahaka for long."

Carmelita nodded, quickly securing the mask in its bundle of black fabric before tying it to one of her belt loops. Carmelita then stepped over to Sly, placing her arm around his shoulder just as the Dahaka reached the bedroom door. With a loud crash the Dahaka came into the room, entering just in time to see Sly and Carmelita slip out the window, using Sly's cane to slide down the cable to the ground. Carmelita looked back at the window, fear building in her voice as the Dahaka began to climb out of the house, "He's still coming."

"And were going," Sly said as he pulled a motorcycle out from behind the tree. Sly tossed a helmet to Carmelita, swinging his leg over the motorcycle before kicking the engine on. Carmelita moved forward, using a firm hand to push Sly back as she said, "Move it Ringtail, I'm driving."

Sly blinked a few times, but agreed, holding tightly to the bike as Carmelita popped it into gear. The Dahaka dropped down into the yard, its eyes narrowing when it saw Carmelita and Sly. With the engine roaring, the cop and thief peeled out of the yard and began heading into the city of Paris. The Dahaka growled, his entire body turning into a thick mist as he took chase.

The city was strangely silent that night, but still it glowed with the light coming from thousands of windows. Sly and Carmelita roared through the streets on the motorcycle, Carmelita taking every shortcut he knew to bring him and Carmelita to the Eiffel Tower. Sly glanced back several times, watching as the Dahaka followed less then a block away. Its tentacles were so close to catching them, lashing out so far only a few inches separated them from the motorcycle.

Sly moved his head up to Carmelita, pointing to a street as he said, "Take a right turn up here, I have an idea." Carmelita nodded, leaning the bike into the tight turn as she started towards the river.

Carmelita soon caught Sly's idea, revving the engine as they neared a bridge that was just starting to go up. With a loud crash Carmelita and Sly blew through the wooden gate arm, and began to plow up the ever raising bridge. The Dahaka followed, but began to skid to a stop when it saw the water. Carmelita and Sly made the jump, coming down on the far side of the bridge as the Dahaka reformed, roaring loudly before turning around, and searching for a different way across the river.

The pair soon came up to the Eiffel Tower, slowly rolling up as Carmelita shut the engine off. Sly got off, laughing under a breath as he looked back at Carmelita, "Well, I can see why I always like that red car of yours. You would never risk that bridge jump in that thing."

Carmelita took her helmet off, giving her hair a shake as she got off the bike, "Yeah, well the only reason I did take the risk is this is _your _motorcycle. If it was mine, I wouldn't have even thought about making that death defying jump across the river. If I had to buy something out of my limited salary, I am very careful to make sure it will last."

Sly continued to laugh, shaking his head as he looked up at the sky, "Well, I'll try to remember that. Now, where are Keith and Bentley? They should be here right now."

"It may take them longer to make the return trip from the IIH. It is, after all, a flying fortress. It may have moved farther away from Paris while Bentley and Keith were there. All we can do for now is wait for them, and hope the Dahaka is still on the far side of the river."

Sly mused, his eyes drifting to the corner of his eye, "Well, who says we have to wait down here, on the ground."

Carmelita raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms as she asked, "What do you have planned now, Ringtail."

Sly smiled, gently motioning to something behind Carmelita, "I always heard the view is beautiful from the top." Carmelita turned, her eyes meeting with the national monument of Paris, the Eiffel Tower. Carmelita looked back at Sly, a smiling playing at her lips as she held her hand out to the master thief. Sly returned Carmelita's smile, gently taking hold of the Interpol Inspector's hand. The two gently locked arms, turning as they walked along the path, the street lamps glowing gently in the Paris night.

With some inventive lock picking, Sly got one of the elevators working. The top observation deck of the tower had been closed for repairs, but that didn't stop Sly. It just took a few minutes for both thief and cop were standing on the very top deck of the tower, looking out across the lights of Paris, each one dancing like a star in the sky. For a while, Sly and Carmelita just stood in silence.

Finally, Sly broke the silence, and asked, "So, what's going to happen after all this is over?"

Carmelita turned to look at Sly, a bit of confusion in her voice, "What was that Ringtail?"

"I'm just wondering about what will happen between us if we can defeat the Dahaka. I guess you'll go back to Interpol, and the only time I'll really get a chance to see you is after a heist, when you chasing after me with that shock pistol of yours."

"I thought you enjoyed it when I went after you, it was the thrill of the chase that made thieving fun."

Sly nodded his head, "I did enjoy those moments, and yes thieving wouldn't be the same without you. It's just, I can't help but wonder, if I weren't a thief or you weren't a cop, how things could be."

Carmelita felt her heart shattering in her chest. For the first time, Carmelita saw a part of Sly that usually remained hidden. It was the side of him that still bore ancient wounds. The memories of his father's murder, and the years at the orphanage. Through Sly's usual strong eyes, Carmelita could see all that pain, and something else. It was like a fresh wound was being cut in Sly's soul. They had shared a kiss, and for a night had forgotten their titles of Master Thief and Inspector. They had tasted a forbidden fruit, a hidden love that each had, but could never embrace. Now, it was tearing Sly apart.

Carmelita hung her head a bit, gently kicking the guard rail on the tower. That love, that yearning, it was tearing her apart to. She was regretting ever sharing that kiss with Sly, but even then she wouldn't trade that moment for the entire world. Carmelita ran her hand through her hair, sighing as her mind argued with her heart for about the hundredth time in the past few days. Why did love, heck life, have to be so complicated?

Carmelita mindlessly let hand slip into her coat pocket, and she felt something. With a gently touch, Carmelita pulled out the small, folded up piece of paper. Carmelita turned the note around a few times, looking at it from all sides before she gently opened it up. It was just a quick note, scrawled on a page from a very small note pad. Carmelita recognized the hand writing, it was Keith's. Slowly, Carmelita read the note, and let the words ring in her head.

_No matter what choice you make Carmelita, I will support it. _

_There will always be an open room, or two, at my ranch for you._

_Now, all you have to do, is make a choice._

_Mind or Heart_

_Logic or Emotion_

_Common Sense or Love_

Carmelita looked at the note, her eyes staring past it and into her own memories, and her own heart. Carmelita gently folded the note, shutting her eyes as she hung her head. The note gently slipped from Carmelita's hand, drifting on the wind and out across the city of Paris as Carmelita smiled, a tear slipping down her cheek. In the distance, the gentle roar of a helicopter began to fill the air, Keith and Bentley finally arriving from the IIH.

While Sly waved up at the helicopter, watching as it came closer, Carmelita kept her head bowed. Gently, she wiped the tear from her eye and looked up, gently whispering, "Thanks Keith."

Soon, Sly and Carmelita were in the elevator, heading down the tower as Bentley landed the helicopter out front. Keith leapt out, covering his head from the still turning blades as he rushed up to Carmelita and Sly, a tone of worry in his voice, "Where's the Dahaka?"

Sly ran up, holding tightly to his hat while Bentley worked to shut the helicopter down, "We don't know. Last time we saw it was on the far side of the river." Before Keith could respond, a loud crash filled the air. Carmelita, Sly, and Keith looked back to see a single, black tentacle breaking the tail of the helicopter apart. The helicopter lurched, starting to spin around as Bentley held on for dear life. Eventually, the helicopter slowed, but Bentley had blacked out from the centrifugal force.

In the distance, the Dahaka slowly rounded the corner of a building and began to walk towards Carmelita and Keith. The white points of lights, the Dahaka's eyes, narrowed and dark tentacles began to spread out farther. Keith growled under his breath, rushing over to the helicopter. Quickly, he grabbed up the weapons of time, throwing the sword of time to Sly and the dagger to Carmelita. Keith took the medallion and the staff, rushing back out to stand and face the Dahaka.

Sly, Carmelita, and Keith continued to slowly back up, keeping their distance from the Dahaka as Sly asked, "So, how are we supposed to stop this thing without the spear and trident."

Keith shook his head, "I don't know, but all we have are the weapons off time. Here, you two stay back. I'm going to try something." With that Keith charged forward, the medallion of time coming to life. Time slowed as Keith drew closer to the Dahaka, dodging the many tentacles before he drove the tip of the staff of time into the Dahaka's gut. For a moment, it looked as Keith had actually injured the guardian of the timeline. Then, the Dahaka reared its arm back and backhanded Keith, sending him crashing to the ground.

As Carmelita and Sly ran up to help Keith, the staff of time began to quiver. Slowly, it began to sink deeper into the Dahaka's body until it was gone, devoured by the dark mist. Keith coughed, slowly rising to his feet as Sly asked, "Well, hate to break it to you Keith, but I don't think that helped."

Keith growled, "Your right. Now we don't have the staff of time, and if we try attacking with any of the other weapons we are liable to loose them as well. Without the spear and trident…I just don't know how we are going to get out of this."

Sly and Carmelita glanced at each other, the seriousness of the situation setting in like a 10 ton weight. Then, for no reason at all, the Dahaka began to scream at the top of its lungs, as if it was hurt. As it began to turn, Sly saw the shine of the metal. A shadowy figure, clad in torn black fabric with a bone gray mask over his face, had driven something into the Dahaka's back.

The figure then leapt away, dodging a barrage of tentacles, before landing in front of Sly, Carmelita and Keith. Held in the figure's hands, shining like a pair of sapphires, was the spear of Oceanus and the Trident of Poseidon. The figure looked up at the trio, his eyes lingering on Sly for a few moments before turning, and charging forward at the Dahaka.

Sly, Carmelita, and Keith watched as the figure battled the Dahaka, using both the trident and the spear in unison to slice at the guardian of the time line. Eventually, Sly growled, turning to Carmelita as he said, "We have to help him, who ever he is."

Carmelita nodded, running forward with Sly as they leapt into the battle. Keith, however, hung back as his eyes watched the figure in black. The mask, it couldn't be, but it was. That meant that…Keith cursed under his breath, moving forward as he tried to get a better look at the shadowy figure. He had to know who, if they were to even have a chance.

The Dahaka began to weaken, its movement becoming clumsier as the shadowy figure drove the trident and spear through its tentacles. Then, disaster struck, and the Dahaka was able to knock all three back. The Dahaka turned, focusing his attention on Carmelita. With a quick burst, the Dahaka's tentacles burst out towards Carmelita. They, however, never reached their target. The shadowy figure stepped in, blocking the assault with the spear and trident while Sly helped Carmelita get away.

Then, slowly, a few of the long, ghastly appendages began to grab the figure, and pull him towards the Dahaka. A sense of fear flew into the stranger's eyes as he began to slide across the ground, towards an inevitable doom. With a bit of last minute thinking, the figure threw the spear and trident to Sly, and then began to struggle to free himself. With a loud oomph, the figure fell to the ground and began to slide across the stone path. Keith rushed forward, grabbing the figures hand and taking a firm grip. Keith began to pull back, hooking his feet on a nearby lamp as he tried to buy a little time.

"Please, I have to know," Keith said as he strained to hold the figure back, "who must wear the mask?"

The figure looked at Keith, and for a moment time seemed to slow. The sands of time began to work, the strange figure summoning the power by himself as he reached down to his waist. Slowly, he pulled out a single slip of paper, and held it out to Keith. Then, with a great lurch, the Dahaka pulled the figure away form Keith and into the darkness of his body, never to be seen again.

Keith quickly got to his feet, rushing back as the Dahaka continue his assault. Sly grumbled under his breath, looking down at his hands where he held the trident and spear. Keith stopped beside Carmelita, glancing over at Sly for only a moment before he asked, "Carmelita, did you bring that mask I asked for."

Carmelita nodded, reaching down to her belt where she untied the mass of black fabric, and revealed the mask. Keith smiled; taking the mask from his sister as he quickly examined it.

While Carmelita and Keith were distracted, Sly made his decision. Slowly he began to walk forward, his eyes locked with the Dahaka's as his grip tightened on the spear and trident. Carmelita looked away from Keith, and finally noticed what Sly was doing. With a gasp, she tried to run forward and stopped the ring-tailed thief. "Ringtail," Carmelita quickly shouted, "What are you doing?"

Sly paused a second, looking back, "What I have to do to protect you?" With that Sly turned back to look at the Dahaka, breaking into a run as he held the trident and spear forward. Carmelita tried to run after Sly, but felt someone grab her shoulder and stop. Keith held Carmelita back, pulling her away.

Carmelita grunted, grabbing at Keith's hand as she tried to escape his grip, "Keith, what are you doing, let me go."

"Carmelita, I'm sorry, but I have to do this. You can remove the mask when your other self dies." With that Keith lifted the bone grey mask, and placed it firmly against Carmelita's face. Carmelita felt a sudden surge of energy through her body, making her shout in pain. With a small, last effort, Carmelita managed to turn her head and watch as Sly drove the spear and trident into the Dahaka's gut. Then, just as she blacked out, Carmelita saw the Dahaka knock the spear and trident away, and devour Sly into the blackness.

The stories continues, but at the same time it regresses. To finid out what happens, keep a look out for the next chapter of Sands of Time.


	14. Second Verse, Same as the First

Chapter 14

Second Verse, Same as the First

Carmelita opened with her eyes with a start, sitting up from her bed with a start. Cold sweat covered her face, and every breath was coming in a gasp of fear. For a few moments, that image of Sly's death burned in Carmelita's eyes, and would not go away. Out of a reflex, Carmelita raised her hand to hold her head. The hand, however, that she drew up was not hers. Instead, it was a hand wrapped in tattered black fabric that was covered with grains of sand.

Carmelita jumped, falling off her bed before bolted up and moved over to the mirror. Carmelita expected, wanted, to see herself in the mirror, a young Interpol inspector that hated mornings and the stations unreliable coffee pot. Instead, a dark figure wrapped in pieces of black mask and bone gray mask over her face stared back at Carmelita.

"What…what happened?" Carmelita mumbled as she lifted her hand up, and touched her face. Her fingers found the edge of the mask, and she tried to lift the wooden disguise off of her face. The mask, however, would not budge from its place. It held firm, as if it was locked in solid concrete.

With anger, Carmelita lifted her other hand and pulled at the mask with all her strength. Still, the mask had become a part of her face. It would have been easier to peel her own skin off then to try and remove the mask. Carmelita sighed inn defeat, setting her hand on the table as she licked her lips. For some strange reason, she was really thirsty. It felt like she hadn't had any water for hours.

As her mind drifted to getting a drink of water, Carmelita stepped away from the mirror and towards the door. She didn't even glance back as she stepped through the door, into the hallway, and towards her kitchen. As she walked, a strange sensation came over her body. It was like the feeling you get when your foot goes to sleep, but it was all over her body. From the folds of fabric, sand began to seep out and surround Carmelita.

The sand completely blocked Carmelita's view for a second, and then returned to her body to reveal the hallway had grown dark. The day had suddenly turned night, and the room grew as cold as ice.

Carmelita stepped into the kitchen, walking over to the cupboard where she found a glass. As she filled it with water, a gentle knock came from the front door. Carmelita stopped the water coming from the faucet, looking in the direction of the hallway when she heard the sound of a door opening and closing.

"I am talking to George tomorrow. The cheap-stake land lord needs to replace the dilapidated furnace, not just put more duck tape on it." A female voice echoed down the hall. Carmelita froze, her eyes narrowing behind the mask as she saw a figure walk by the door, a bath robe draped around her thin frame. Carmelita saw herself, and as she disappeared down the hall to answer the door, Carmelita's other self said, "All right, I'm coming."

Carmelita almost dropped the glass of water from her hand, trying to figure out what was going on. She couldn't have just seen herself. It was impossible. Then, Carmelita's memories began to click, what she had just heard echoing through the halls of her mind.

After she and Keith had visited the island of time, she had been at home one night when a knock came at the door. It was the Dahaka, and it had come to kill her for altering the timeline. Then, she was saved, by a figure in black.

Carmelita gasped, turning to the skin and opening the cupboards underneath it to find a bucket. A loud crash came from the hallway; the Dahaka had just broken down the door. Carmelita put the bucket under the sink, filling it with water. The bucket was almost full when the sound of a shock pistol going off began to fill the apartment. Carmelita pulled the bucket off the sink, carrying out to the hallway even as her mouth yearned for some of the water. She was just so thirsty, it was driving her crazy.

Carmelita burst into the room, holding the bucket of water as the Dahaka turned to roar at her. For a moment Carmelita froze, trying to think of what happened next. When it happened the first time, the figure disappeared and reappeared in front of the Dahaka. With a burst of inspiration, Carmelita called on the sands of time. From her body, the sands began to burst out before time literally froze. In that moment, Carmelita moved to the center of the room, letting time resume before throwing the bucket of water on the Dahaka.

Like the first time, the Dahaka seemed to turn into a shadow and flee out the front door.

Suddenly, out of no where, a figure clad in black rushed into the room. His clothes seemed to be nothing more then a collection of rags tied together. The only two solid parts of his body was a bone gray mask on his face and the black sword on his back. From behind the mask, two bright blue points of light acted as eyes.

The creature turned roaring at the stranger. The stranger just stood there, stepping completely into the living room. Carmelita was surprised to see the figure holding a bucket. In a quick moment the figure disappeared, reappearing in front of Carmelita before he through the bucket at the dark monster. The monster screamed, the water burning it like acid. In an instant the creature seemed to disappear, turning into a shadow before rushing out of the apartment.

Carmelita turned, looking back at her other self before calling on the sands of time again to disappear. A few moments later, just like before, Keith and Sly rushed into the apartment. Carmelita waited until they Keith, Sly, and her other self left the apartment. Then, she moved back into the kitchen, her throat as dry as sand paper, before downing the glass of water she had poured earlier.

Carmelita began to fill the glass again, drinking the second glass greedily as she tried to think what had happened. Keith had put the mask on her face, and then she woke up in her bed. She was still wearing the mask, and also the strange black attire. She even had a sword on her back, a black blade that seemed to be stained with blood.

That's what she knew what happened, but she didn't know why. Keith had to have known something otherwise he wouldn't have forced the mask onto her face during the fight. Carmelita snapped her fingers, letting the glass fill for a third time before she stepped out of her kitchen and into her living room. She quickly moved over to her bookcase, her finger running across the spines of the many tombs until she pulled out a single, large book titled, "Twisting Sands, the ancient Kronosians and their power."

Carmelita took a seat on her couch, setting the book down on the table as she flipped to the index. The book was something her brother, Keith, had helped to produce. If the mask had something to do with the sands of time, Keith had to have known something about it.

After a few minutes of searching, Carmelita found it. In the index, among the other M words, there was an entry for the Mask of Wrath. Carmelita quickly flipped to the proper page, and began to read as she sipped on the water.

_In Kronosian culture, there is one other weapon powered by the sands of time. The Mask of Wrath, which was made from the bark of the oldest tree alive, grants the wearer an amazing chance. The mask sends a person back in time, but as a new entity. They do not relive their past; they forge a new one as the Sand Wraith._

_The Sand Wraith is a creature of the sands, a living form of weapon. Once a person has dawned the mask, they become this creature and travel back in time to a key point. From there, they live along with their other self, doing what they wish to change the past. They can command the sands of time without one of the four weapons, and has an endless supply of the essential sand. _

_The Sand Wraith is also a curse. Once the mask is put on, it can't be removed until your other self, your past, perishes. This is caused by the fact the sands of time would never allow the same person to live, an exact double beyond any pair of twins. Thus, once the past is changed, the Sand Wraith must kill the past, or die to be free of the mask. _

_Also, according to the ancient text, the Sand Wraith must keep drinking water. The Sands of Time try to kill the wraith, dehydrating it to the point where the wraith actually becomes sand. To survive, the wearer of the mask must keep drinking water. Should they stop, it will take only four hours for the sands to claim there life, and turn them to dust._

Carmelita sat in shock, the glass of water perched on her lip as she was caught between sips. She had to kill herself, her past self, to take the mask off. If she didn't, she would live the rest of her life as the Sand Wraith, or die of dehydration for going a few hours without water.

Carmelita gently shut the book, putting back on the shelf as she went back to the kitchen, filling her glass again. Her mind was trying to figure out what to do next. She had figured out why Keith had sent her back. In that moment, when Keith had tried to save the strange figure in the final fight with the Dahaka, he had shown him a small piece of paper. Keith must of figured out the Sand Wraith was her, or her from the future. That is why he put the mask on her face, to make sure she would get the Trident and Spear.

Carmelita groaned, rubbing her head, she was beginning to hate all the time traveling and the headaches it caused. Still, on thing stood out clearly from the rest of the chaos. In the final fight, the Shadow Wraith had died. Did that mean she was destined to die, and finally come to an end or was there something else she could do?

Finally, after several minutes, Carmelita grabbed a pitcher, a glass, filled both with water, and took a seat at her coffee table as she read Keith's book on the sands of time from cover to cover. At the same time, Carmelita's past self was taken to the gang's hideout, and they began planning their heist.

Two days later, Carmelita stood in the line of trees surrounding the cooper gang's house. Night had fallen, and Carmelita could see her past self up on the roof, talking with Sly. A smile crept onto Carmelita's face, listening as Sly's voice floated into the night as he sung. From that moment until Bentley and Keith left for the airport, Carmelita stayed and watched, her mind trying to retrace the past and figure out a place she could make it change.

Hiding in the back of the rented car, Carmelita rode with Keith and Bentley to the airport. Along the way, the two talked about the plan, going over it one final time before the operation started. A mile away from the airport, the conversation finally changed when Bentley asked, "So, Keith, are you sure the Trident and Spear are the only things we can use against the Dahaka?"

"Well…" Keith said as he shrugged his shoulders, "I can't really say that. According to the legend, the ancient prince used a sword against the Dahaka, not a spear or trident. This was the one time the Dahaka was defeated, so I can't help but wonder where the sword went."

Carmelita almost alerted Keith and Bentley to her presence, a powerful headache surging through her mind. For an instant, Carmelita's vision was filled the Eiffel Tower. She then began to race across Paris, to the edge of the city and a stately manor in the richest neighborhood in the city. Through the front doors, up the hall, to a library where a glint of metal from above a roaring fireplace caught Carmelita's eye.

Then, the vision ended, and Carmelita felt the car beginning to slow. They were at the airport, and she had a choice to make. From the original past, the Shadow Wraith had taken the Trident and Sword before Keith could, and used them to fight the Dahaka. She knew that could happen, but what if she followed the vision. The glint above the fireplace, could it have been the sword Keith was talking about?

Carmelita felt the car come to a stop, and Bentley and Keith began to get out. She had a moment to make a choice, follow the path she knew or take a risk at being killed by the Dahaka, and loosing Sly again to the dark creature.

Bentley and Keith walked into the terminal as a valet got into the car, and drove it to the long term parking for the airport. The valet rolled the car into its place, pulling the keys out of the ignition before slipping them in his pocket. In that moment, the valet sneezed, his hair standing on end before he left the parking lot to get back to the terminal.

Carmelita looked out from behind a column in the parking lot, gently twirling the car keys around her finger as she smiled and whispered, "That guy made it to easy, sneezing just when I needed him to." Carmelita then moved over to the car, quickly getting in before turning the ignition. The engine roared to life, powering the car backwards before Carmelita peeled out.

The blue sports car raced through the Paris streets, blowing past stop sign and red light alike as Carmelita raced towards the manor she had seen in her vision. She had till nightfall. That is when Keith and Bentley would get back, meet up with Sly and her past self at the Eiffel Tower, and then face the Dahaka one last time. Suddenly, as Carmelita drifted through a turn and began driving north, the blare of sirens began to fill the air.

Carmelita groaned, looking back as a police car began to chase after her. She was still several miles away from the manor, and she couldn't keep away from the police force for that long. They would put up a blockade, and she would be trapped. Carmelita had one option, but was afraid to try. What if exerting the sands of time made her dehydrate faster. She was now running at one hour without water. It would take at least another one before she reached the manor.

Finally, Carmelita decided, her grip tightening on the steering wheel as the sand began to seep from her body. The sand grew, encompassing the entire car. The officer following Carmelita stopped mid transmission on his radio, staring at wonder as the car disappeared in a blur of sand.

A few moments later, the car reappeared near the river that flowed through Paris. The door opened, and Carmelita toppled out as she gasped for breath. Slowly, she began to drag her self towards the river, her strength giving out with each passing second. Using the sands of time, she had to use the sands for thirty minutes to get away from the police officer. Those thirty minutes of use was the same as three hours without water, and Carmelita was on the verge of death.

It was a final burst of strength Carmelita was able to pull herself over the edge of the walk, and down into the river. The cool water felt amazing, a surge of strength covering her body. Carmelita opened her mouth, drinking greedily of the water. She didn't care how dirty it was, even if it was poisonous. She needed water, pure and simple.

Carmelita remained in the water for several minutes, floating as the current carried her downstream. For some reason, Carmelita knew she couldn't drown. The water was better then air; all of her muscles unraveling in the cool, gentle tossing of the river. The water was just so relaxing, Carmelita found herself drifting off to sleep.

Like the time the weapons of time came together for the first time, Carmelita was taken to a vast empty desert. She was quickly sucked down, dropping through the roof of the circular room with the stone doors. The first four doors in the circles, the ones that had once had the weapons of time carved on their surface, had disappeared. That only left two, standing perfectly opposite of each other. One was the door made of solid black stone, and the other had an image of the Mask of Wrath carved in it.

With loud snap, and the sound of sliding stone against stone, the door of the mask began to open. Carmelita was surrounded in sand, her vision clearing an instant later. She was in the unfamiliar mountain range, with birds chirping and a gentle breeze caressing her cheek. The calm mountain house was nestled amongst the forest, and this time Carmelita was standing right on the deck that lined one of the floors. Her other self was sitting on the porch as a screen door opened, and a figure stepped out.

Carmelita gasped when she saw Sly step out, a broad smile on his face as he stepped over to the porch swing Carmelita was sitting on. The master thief took a seat next to his love, the pair sharing a loving kiss as the swing continued to rock gently back and forth. Carmelita watched on through the eye of the Shadow Wraith like she wasn't even there. Then, there was a third set of footsteps, coming from the inside the house. Carmelita turned to look in the door, but at that moment the sand swirled in front of her eyes again.

Red images, they were always red images. Still, the images blew past Carmelita's eyes as she saw the manor house, a glint of light coming from above a roaring fireplace. Then, the streets of Paris as a loud roar filled her ears. Finally, an image of the Dahaka roaring before the final image, which was of Sly holding tightly to a cold, limp body as he cried his heart out.

A strong thump to the head brought Carmelita out of her dreams, making her opened her eyes and see she was still in the water. For the first time since she fell in the river, Carmelita began to swim against the current and over to the bank. With slow steps Carmelita made her way out of the river, stepping onto the bank as she looked around. The river had carried her a long ways, almost to the outskirts of the city. The sun was also starting to set, meaning she was running out of time. Bentley and Keith were already at the flying Interpol International Headquarters, and would soon start making their way back.

Carmelita's eyes drifted away from the sky to a shadow in the distance. It was the manor where the images had shown her the sword. The river had carried her to where she needed to be. Maybe, just maybe, they really could defy fate, and destroy the Dahaka. It was at least worth a try, for Sly's sake. With that Carmelita turned and began to walk towards the manor, the sands of time swirling as she prepared to steal one last thing.


	15. To Defy Fate

Author Note: This chapter has been long awaited, and I feel so much better that I finally sat down and figured out how I wanted to end The Sands of Time. For those who have been waiting, I'm sorry it took so long. My dearest appologies, and hope that this ending was at least worth the wait.

Chapter 15

To Defy Fate

The manor was huge, a tall fence encompassing the grand mansion and its garden. Carmelita quickly hopped the fence, glancing about for only a moment before slinking across the grass. Carmelita noticed that the house had security, but most of it had been turned off. The cameras around the house's exterior were dark, and the front door was unlocked.

Carmelita began to get an uneasy feeling as she stepped through the door. "It shouldn't be this easy." The fox thought to herself as she began to climb a grand staircase up to the houses second floor. Following her visions, Carmelita quickly made her way to the manor's library. The huge study was lit by a fire that glowed in the fireplace. Above the mantel, hanging against the wall, a long Persian sword hung.

"I was expecting you." A voice muttered, making Carmelita jump back into a defensive position. Sitting in the corner of the room was a very old panther. He was dressed in green night gown, and he was blind in his right eye. Carmelita relaxed, looking over at the old panther with confusion."

"The funny thing about defying fate, it's never easy." The panther muttered, his legs trembling as he stood up from his chair. "First, I just had the dagger, and with it I released the sands of time from that ancient hourglass. Then, after I finally managed to undo my mistake, it seems fate was not satisfied. Fate sent its attack dog, the Dahaka, after me, and I continued to defy fate by trying to ensure the sands of time were never created. I tried every thing, did every task, and in the end it was always the same. I was always the architect of my own destruction."

"Who are you?" Carmelita asked, staring at the panther in disbelief as the aged cat limped over to the fireplace, and lifted the sword off the wall.

"I am the Prince of Persia, the one who defied fate, and lived to tell the tale."

"How can that be… you would have to be centuries old."

"The thing about the sands of time, they aren't just for going back. I used the sands to launch myself forward in time, to a point where all the actions I had done in the past carried no more consequence. That is what makes the sands of time so addicting. There is always the opportunity with the sands to undo a mistake, to defy fate."

The old panther, the Prince of Persia, turned to Carmelita and offered her the sword that had been hanging above his fireplace. "This sword has tasted the Dahaka's blood. It was the weapon that once slew that terrible beast. Still, once killed the Dahaka is reborn stronger then before. The weapons of water are no longer able to kill the Dahaka."

"What do you mean?" Carmelita asked, holding her hands out as the old man handed her the sword, its metal surface rippling as if formed of water.

"The sword in your hands plus the trident and spear are all weapons of water, meant to purify evil. The Dahaka I slew in my ancient world was a force of evil for it had haunted the world for centuries. It had killed those who defied fate, but also anyone that stood in his way. The Dahaka of old was a monster, but the Dahaka you face has yet to commit such a sin. He, himself, is still an innocent, and in can only be injured by water, not killed."

Carmelita looked down at the shimmering sword of water, the third part of the three weapons of water. Anger began to build in Carmelita's chest, her grip tightening on the sword. It was all for nothing. Everything she tried ended up the same way. Sly would be dead. The rage became too much, and without even thinking Carmelita grabbed the sword and chucked it across the room.

"Just like me, you have become lost in the dessert." The Prince of Persia muttered, setting his hand on Carmelita's shoulder. "Once the Dahaka began hunting me, I set out to find the Island of Time, the birthplace of the sands. There, I fought and slew the queen of the land, knowing that she had been the one to create the Sands of Time. Still, it was only later that I realized it was in death the queen created the sands, that when I slew her I assured that the sands would come into existence. It was chance I came across the very same mask you are wearing, and it was because of that mask I had a second chance to change my fate."

"But how does this mask work? All I have seen is that it makes me a walking weapon, a living creature that uses the sands just like the dagger or sword."

"It is a chance to take the place of your past self. That mask comes off when your previous incarnation dies. You then have the knowledge of the future to try and change the past. What knowledge did you gain from the fight with the Dahaka?"

"That the spear and trident together were not enough to kill that cursed beast. That the shadowy stranger that fought the figure was wearing this mask and was killed by the Dahaka. The Sly died trying to protect me from the Dahaka."

"How did the stranger die?" The Prince asked, his voice kind and grandfatherly.

"He died saving…" Carmelita started, her voice starting out in a furious yell before quickly dying away to a whisper. "He died trying to save me."

"And there is where you can change the past. By letting your past self die, you can remove the mask. Then, you will know how the fight will go and what you can do to change it."

Carmelita shook her head, turning to face the elderly Prince, "but how am I to kill the Dahaka if both the weapons of time and water are both useless."

"Neither is useless young Sand Wraith. Allow me to share with you something I learned from a very special woman. On our way back to my kingdom, the queen of time told me an ancient legend of her land. It was on the final destruction of the Dahaka. The queen told me that the four weapons of time and the three blades of water were forged in the same moment. The weapons themselves were made by mortal hands, but the power they contain could not be made in this world. The seven weapons were all once apart of a single weapon, a mighty sword. "

The Prince coughed a bit, his body quivering. Carmelita quickly turned, helping the aged Panther into a seat. For a moment the prince had to stop and catch his breath, but soon his voice had returned and he continued. "A piece of history never recorded in any book was the fact that during the great war between the Grecian gods and the Titans, who looked to Kronos as their leader, that the final battle was decided by a single duel. When all the other titans and gods lay on the battle field, their powers and immortality pressed to their very limits, Zeus and Kronos remained as the last two capable of fighting."

"Zeus, before the battle, had forged a powerful weapon by his own hand. Carrying a little strength from every one of the Grecian Gods, the Sword of Olympus was the mightiest blade to ever be created. Kronos, seeing Zeus's sword, knew he would not be able to face his son without a weapon of his own. In the last dire moment Kronos drew up all the remaining strength from the titans to try and forge his own weapon. However, before Kronos could produce the blade, Zeus intervened by driving the Sword of Olympus straight through Kronos's stomach."

"The result of Zeus's actions caused the power from the Sword of Olympus to be dispersed. The energy Zeus took from the other gods returned to their owners, and at the same time Kronos's power and what remained of the titan's strength were drawn into the Sword of Olympus. It sealed away their power and allowed the Grecian gods to lock the titans away in the darkest depths of the underworld."

"Zeus, however, was concerned about the power of his own sword. He feared that if the Sword of Olympus were to ever fall into another god or titans hands, they would try to overthrow his new rule. So, in an act of preserving the power of Olympus, Zeus drew most of the sword's power into his own body. The energy, however, he could not absorb was that of his father, Kronos, and the massive power of the ocean itself. So, the power of Kronos and at that time Oceanus was left in the sword, and the blade was cast down to earth."

"The Island of Time," Carmelita finished, her mind figuring out where the prince's story was leading.

"Yes, the sword fell on the land that would eventually become the island of time. When the first people came across the sword, they saw the great power it held. Still, merely touching the sword was enough to kill someone. The power was just too great for a mortal to wield. So, in an act of trying to control even a fraction of the ancient power, the original Kronosians used the ancient rituals and lingering power of the titans to contact Kronos."

"The ancient god of time saw the Kronosians as the last of his worshipers, the last people that could give him strength. In hopes of assuring his freedom, Kronos blessed the first Kronosians with both his name and a bone gray mask. The Mask of Wrath, the mask that is currently on your face."

Carmelita reached up, touching the ancient and weather beaten mask, "But, what does the mask have to do with the weapons?"

"The Mask of Wrath allowed the wearer to hold the Sword of Olympus. With the mask and the sword, the ancient warriors of the Kronosians began using the power to right the wrongs of their society. To catch thieves before they had stolen, murders before they had killed, to save the lives of those who didn't deserve to die. Still, soon the power began to corrupt the Kronosians, and they used it to go to war."

"In a few short years the Kronosians managed to seize control of the entire world, a part of the earth's history that has been erased from the minds of man. Even Kronos saw that the people who he hoped could free him from his prison in the underworld had forgotten that it was his blessing that let them use the Sword of Olympus. Finally, the situation reached such a point that Zeus himself intervened. With a single powerful bolt of lightning Zeus shattered the Sword of Olympus into seven pieces and with the aid of the other Olympians pushed the Kronosians back to their capitol."

"With the gods at their gates the Kronosians begged and pleaded with Kronos to grant them the power to save themselves. Kronos, however, refused and actually put a curse upon the Mask of Wrath, so that its wearer could not remove the mask until he had killed himself. At the time Kronos placed the curse on the mask, a single brave warrior was wearing it. The curse fell upon him, and in that moment that warrior became the first Dahaka and the Mask of Wrath was lost beneath the thunder of battle. The war ended, the Kronosians were defeated, and with the power of Poseidon and Oceanus the capitol was broken away from the main land, turning it into the Island of Time."

The Prince coughed again, a few drops of blood escaping his throat, "Years later, a disciple of Zeus discovered the mask and brought it to his temple. Zeus saw the mask, and remembered the curse Kronos had put on it. Knowing that, in time, someone would choose to use the mask for good, Zeus place his blessing on the mask. The mask gained the power to send its wearer back in time. It would let the wearer change the past and then, when their alternate life died, they could remove the mask and continue to live their new life."

"Kronos saw Zeus's blessing as a new rebellion to try and subdue the last of his remaining influence on the world. In his final act, Kronos brought the Dahaka under his control and gave it the task of guarding the timeline, to search out and kill anyone who defied fate. Such, the seven weapons, the Dahaka, and the mask of wrath came into existence. It was, however, only after the creation of the sands of time that the weapons of time gained their true power, allowing their history to be hidden away and lost in the crumbling libraries of the Kronosians."

"I don't understand. What difference does any of that make right now?" Carmelita asked, a tone of confusion in her voice.

"Knowledge makes all the difference, especially in matters such as this. It is the knowledge of the past that lets us decided how we can change the future. Remember what I have told you, and when you fight the Dahaka look for a sign. At the right moment, when the night is the darkest and the storm at its worse, when you've lost all hope, have faith that, for even one moment, destiny is on your side."

Carmelita remained still, looking down at the withered form of the Prince. Even with his feeble body, Carmelita could still see part of the ancient warrior shining through. It was the warrior that refused to submit to fate, that he could choose his future. The prince's actions were one final defiance of fate, that when another should die he could show them the way to defy destiny and live to see the next sunrise.

"You must go quickly, find your past self and intervene in the final fight with the Dahaka. Go quickly before you are too late."

Carmelita nodded, turning quickly and running across the room. With a single fluid motion she snatched up the Water Blade and sprinted out the door. The Prince watched Carmelita leave, her body still lost in the darkness of the Shadow Wraith. Another weak cough escaped the prince's throat before he leaned back in his chair, the light beginning to fade from his eyes.

"Though we hate to believe it, we are the toys of the gods. The gods, be them the Olympians of ancient Greece or the single God of Christianity, they each gain power by the people who worship them. Kronos and Zeus have fallen into history, and now possess no power. Their last claim in the mortal world are the weapons, the Dahaka, and the Mask of Wrath. The Dahaka is Kronos's emissary and he seeks to destroy those that would defy the timeline, the last monument to Kronos's power. Zeus, however, is one who believes someone should have a chance to change their destiny. His will and power reside in the weapons and the mask. This fight stands not only between Carmelita and the Dahaka, but also Zeus and Kronos. A fight that will decide for future generations whether someone must resign to their fate or if they can choose to defy it, and forge their own path into the future."

Bentley landed the helicopter down beside the Eiffel Tower, Keith hopping, bent down to guard his head from the helicopter's turning blades. . Sly and Carmelita smiled, running up to meet Keith as he asked, "Where's the Dahaka?"

Sly ran up, holding tightly to his hat while Bentley worked to shut the helicopter down, "We don't know. Last time we saw it was on the far side of the river." Before Keith could respond, a loud crash filled the air. Carmelita, Sly, and Keith looked back to see a single, black tentacle breaking the tail of the helicopter apart. The helicopter lurched, starting to spin around as Bentley held on for dear life. Eventually, the helicopter slowed, but Bentley had blacked out from the centrifugal force.

In the distance, the Dahaka slowly rounded the corner of a building and began to walk towards Carmelita and Keith. The white points of lights, the Dahaka's eyes, narrowed and dark tentacles began to spread out farther. Keith growled under his breath, rushing over to the helicopter. Quickly, he grabbed up the weapons of time and water, passing the Sword of Time and Spear of Oceanus to Sly while Carmelita got the dagger and trident. Keith held onto the medallion and staff of time, turning with Sly and Carmelita to face the Dahaka.

In the distance, watching for behind the street corner, the Sand Wraith watched with her blue piercing eyes. Carmelita still couldn't get over how strange it was to see herself fighting. Still, she held tightly to Water Blade, watching the fight unfold. Keith was doing his best to distract the Dahaka, allowing Carmelita's past self and Sly attack the dark creature with the spear and trident. Still, the weapons only injured the beast, and each time one of them struck it seemed to be having a smaller effect.

Finally, Carmelita saw the opening in the battle. Keith had muttered something, and now all three of them were lunging at the Dahaka. The great black creature took a step back, a single huge arm backhanding all three of his attackers. Keith and Sly were sent sprawling in one direction while Carmelita's past self landed hard on the ground, the trident and dagger slipping from her fingertips.

That was the moment she needed, and Carmelita called on the sands as she raced forward. The Dahaka lunged out its tentacles, but unlike the first time they struck their target and took hold of Carmelita's past self. Sly and Keith jumped up, lunging forward to try and save her, but it was that moment Carmelita appeared. To Sly and Keith, she was merely the Sand Wraith, a black figure with a bone gray mask and blue, piecing eyes.

"Get out of the way!" Sly shouted, trying to get past the Sand Wraith. Still, with the help of the sands of time Carmelita kept between Sly and the Dahaka, and soon it was too late. Carmelita's past self was lifted off the ground, pulled into the dark body of the Dahaka. Sly and Keith cried out, but Carmelita knew it was already over. The mask had become loose on her face, her past self had just died.

Sly and Keith turned, their eyes burning with anger towards the Sand Wraith. For a moment the Dahaka seemed to disappear, and in that time of piece Sly reared back and landed a firm punch against the Sand Wraith's jaw

"WHY DID YOU STOP US? WHY DID YOU LET HER DIE!?" Sly shouted, an immeasurable amount of rage and sorrow burning in his eyes. Carmelita just stood back up, knowing that if she took the mask off now it would all be over. It was then Carmelita began to notice her mouth was feeling dry. The sands of time were beginning to dehydrate her, and mindlessly she lifted up the Water Blade and actually began to drink from the sword's edge.

"Who are you?" Keith asked, recognizing the Mask of Wrath. "And how did you come about the mask. Carmelita was the one carrying it, and she was just devoured by the Dahaka. So, how did you get it?"

Carmelita remained silent, her head turning as she heard a loud crash. The Dahaka was returning. Quickly the prince's words rang through Carmelita's mind, and after quickly disguising her voice she asked, "You, do you know of the sands of time?"

"Yes," Keith answered quickly, surprised to be asked such a question by a Sand Wraith.

"Do you know of the Sword of Olympus?"

"Yes, it's mentioned several times in Kronosian legends as a great source of power."

"What if I told you the four weapons of time and three weapons of water were all made from the remains of the Sword of Olympus. Would you know a way to put them back together?"

Keith paused a second, his mind flipping through the pages upon pages of information he had read over the course of his lifetime. "There is something, a ritual mentioned in an ancient story from a Grecian Philosopher. It mentions the seven weapons of an ancient power, but the only semblance it carries to the Kronosian legends is what kind of weapons are used. It never specifically mentions the weapons of time."

"Did the story tell you of a way to contact Zeus?"

"What… Zeus… that is absurd. The weapons of time gain their power from Kronos, not his son Zeus. Why would you seek to contact him, even if it were possible?"

"DO YOU KNOW HOW TO OR NOT?" Carmelita shouted, the Dahaka growing close enough to attack.

"Yes, I remember what the text mentioned."

"Then do what you remember, try to call Zeus. I will distract the Dahaka." With that Carmelita turned, her grip on the Water Blade tightening as she raced forward. The Dahaka roared, its tentacles racing out. Carmelita called on the sands of time, the ancient power leaking out from her skin as time slowed. She struck out with the Water Blade, cutting at the Dahaka's tentacles.

The Guardian off the Time line howled in pain, his attack becoming even more fierce as he tried to kill Carmelita. In the background Keith worked quickly, trying to organize the weapons of time and water as they were described in the ritual. Sly stood nearby, pushing down his anger and sorrow to help Keith with the ritual.

Even with the sands of time aiding her, and the Water Blade, Carmelita soon found herself fighting to just stay alive. The Dahaka lunged at her, and was eventually able to cut her across the side. Carmelita cringed in pain, backing up as she held the wound. The Dahaka stood over her like a mountain, its burning white eyes fixed on her as it began to mutter something, the words coming out backwards.

"Doolb rouy htiw devreserp eb enilemit eht."

Carmelita cringed a moment, watching as the Dahaka reared back to deliver the final blow. It was at that moment, however, Carmelita felt something hit her nose. A rain drop. What had been a clear night sky suddenly turned into a violent storm. A heavy rain began to pour down, and the Dahaka screamed as the water began to burn his flesh. Carmelita slowly forced herself up, looking back to see Keith and Sly had backed away from the weapons of time and water, which had been laid out on the ground in a precise order.

The weapons were glowing, and through the rain Carmelita could hear a powerful, commanding voice say, "Place the blade among its brothers and receive my blessing."

Carmelita took the words, slowly limping forward. The pain in her side was excruciating, the rainwater mixing with the sands of time and causing the wound to burn. Still, Carmelita kept moving forward. The Dahaka saw all of this, lashing out his tentacles and striking Carmelita in the back before dropping to the ground, the rain water burning him too greatly.

Carmelita struggled, trying to get to her feet, but found she had lost all her strength. Then, two pairs of hands grabbed her up of the ground, and Carmelita felt herself being carried forward towards the weapons. It was Keith and Sly, they were carrying her to the weapons of time and water.

"We don't know who you are, or why you are fighting the Dahaka? Still, if you can kill that thing we will do whatever we can to help. For Carmelita's sake." Sly said as the trio got within a few steps of the weapons. Carmelita found her own strength returning, Sly's voice driving away the pain and fatigue in her body. It was enough, and Carmelita was able to stand up on her own power. With a final burst of strength she raised the Water Blade up, gently holding it above the other weapons of time and water.

For a moment nothing happened, and then with a thunderous roar a bolt of lighting cut down from the sky and struck the Water Blade. Keith and Sly were blown backward, the pair crashing to the ground as Carmelita, in her Sand Wraith form, was enveloped in light. The bright flash held out for a few seconds before slowly fading away, the rainstorm stopping as the last of the light disappeared.

Carmelita had never felt so good in her life. Her injuries were gone, her muscles were rested. The Sword of Olympus felt so light, like a feather resting in her hand. The weapon was a brilliant silver in color with a glass chamber in the core, contained within was a surging bolt of lightning.

Carmelita turned, letting her arm drop to one side as looked over at the Dahaka. With the rain gone the ancient beast had regained strength, and a single mighty roar broke out from his throat. Carmelita, however, did not make a single move, her eyes fixed on the Dahaka. Without even realizing it she raced forward, the Sword of Olympus held securely in her hand.

The Dahaka lunged out his tentacles, trying to strike Carmelita and stop her attack. Still, each tentacle seemed to break away into a dark mist whenever it drew close to Carmelita. Finally, Carmelita stood within inches of the Dahaka, and before the creature could even react she had driven the Sword of Olympus through his chest, piercing his black heart.

With a painful, high pitched cry the Dahaka began to break apart, becoming nothing more then mist on the wind. The Sword of Olympus slowly clattered to the ground, the metal rusting over quickly before the whole weapon broke into dust. Beside the sword was the motionless body of Carmelita's passed life.

Sly rushed forward, pushing the Sand Wraith out of the way before dropping to his knees. He grabbed up Carmelita's cold body, hugging it tightly as if his presence could bring her back to life. Keith stood back, watching the whole scene from afar. He knew Sly would need sometime alone, but still the Sand Wraith remained.

"Go away," Sly finally spat, glaring up at the Sand Wraith once he realized it was still there. "before I make you pay for letting her die. You stopped me from saving her, its your fault she's dead. You killed her!"

The sand wraith sighed, slowly lifting up his hand and taking hold of the mask. Slowly, he pulled the bone grey mask away, the blackness covering his body disappearing into the air. At the same moment, Sly found that Carmelita's body was fading. That it slowly disappeared, like a mist.

"But why would I want to kill myself."

Sly turned his head so quickly it cracked, a smile spreading on his face as he saw Carmelita standing nearby. Keith, smiled, watching as the two quickly went from a loving embrace to a tender kiss. "I think I need to find a new subject to focus on, the Kronosians and their time travel is all to confusing."

Epilogue

Several years later, in the mountains of Europe, a single country house sat on the hillside. On its deck, sitting on the porch swing, was a slightly older Carmelita fox. She sat, gently rocking as she looked out over the beautiful mountain scenery.

As soon as the ordeal with the Dahaka was over, Carmelita went back to the police force and Sly to his thieving. Still, things were never the same. Within a year Sly turned himself in, and like the first time was sentenced to six months of house arrest and 500 hours of community service. Carmelita was sure, however, that this time Muggshot was behind bars the entire time. At the end, Sly and the Cooper Gang was released.

However, instead of going back to stealing for the pleasure of it, Carmelita gave Sly a simple idea. The Cooper Gang began working with the police. If there was crime lord or someone the police couldn't quiet pin down, they would call the Cooper Gang in to get them the evidence they needed. The Cooper Gang also began making a lot of money on the side. Museums, Art Galleries, they all wanted to test their security systems against the best of the best, and were willing to pay a fortune to have Sly and Cooper Gang get through the security system, steal something. Then, they could show their employers where the weakness was and it could be fixed. The thieves hired and sanctioned by the law to steal with no threat of being arrested. It took a little of the thrill out of it, but Sly soon found something else to fill the void.

Carmelita smiled as she thought back, her eyes drifting down the diamond ring that glistened on her ring finger. At that same moment the nearby screen door opened, and Sly stepped out. Carmelita smiled at him, the ex-master thief quickly moving forward and planting a loving kiss on the lips of his wife. At that moment a third set of footsteps began to echo from the door, and a small fox girl with black rings on her tail stepped out onto the porch.

It was then that Carmelita glanced to her right, seeing a strange blackness out of the corner of her eye. Even though she hadn't seen who the figure was, or where they had disappeared to so suddenly, she already knew. She had been wondering when that figure would appear, even for the briefest moment, since the day she married Sly and they bought their summer home in the mountains. She had been waiting for the day to see the Sand Wraith, and smile to know that the past was going to change. That she had truly changed her fate, and that she was living the future she had seen so many years ago.

The End


End file.
